Stick to your guns

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a leader who sticks to his guns on policy issues, especially if he isn’t impressed by his critics. And that, perhaps, could be one reason why he was elected for a second term.

To stick to your guns means to remain steadfast or resolute in your opinion, method, or perspective. You refuse to be persuaded by others into changing it.

Once you’ve decided what to do and how to do it, you simply do it. You aren’t bothered by the disapprovals, condemnations, or even deprecation.

A lawyer tells his clients,

The opposition lawyer is going to try to trip you up on your statements or alibis. Stick to your guns and leave the rest to me.

It means you refuse to change your opinions.

If the government sticks to its guns, India will emerge from this COVID crisis with guns blazing.

Other ways of saying this is:

• Stand by your guns
• Screw your courage to the sticking place (Lady Macbeth)
• Stick to it
• Hang in there
• Stick with (your opinion, etc)
• Plough on