“Kuch dalon ne bhrashtachari bachao abhiyan chalaya hai (Some parties have launched a save-the-corrupt campaign),” the PM said in a defiant response to the opposition parties that recently petitioned the Supreme Court against the ED and the CBI.
Modi, who was speaking at the inauguration of a new wing of BJP’s central headquarters here, put up a full-scale defence of the probe agencies. He highlighted actions taken by the ED, the principal target of the opposition’s ire, under the PMLA. “During UPA’s tenure, a mere Rs 5,000 crore were seized under PMLA. However, the amount seized under the law after 2014 stands at Rs 1,10,000 crore,” said the PM. He also praised the work of the CBI, another target of the opposition, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
All tricks were tried to put me in jail: PM
Praising the work of the CBI, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday said more than 5,000 graft cases have been registered and many corrupt officers have been dismissed. “A few are protesting, but people approach me and tell me not to stop,” he said in a clear sign that there was not going to be any let-up in the actions of the CBI and the ED.
“There was a time when there used to be an eyewash in the name of containing corruption. However, the campaign launched by the BJP government in the past nine years has shaken roots of the corrupt and corruption,” he said.
Significantly, Modi also talked about what he referred to as a conspiracy under UPA to jail him. “All possible tricks were deployed to put me behind bars, by somehow implicating me. But the plot did not succeed and, thanks to people’s blessings, I came out of it stronger,” said Modi said, in what appeared to be a sharp riposte to the opposition’s charge of political vendetta. “There was a time when senior Congress leaders would declare that Jan Sangh was going to be wiped out, now they talk about digging my grave,” he said. This is perhaps the first time that Modi has referred to the “plot” after becoming PM.
The speech came on a day the government scotched speculation that it could prematurely adjourn Parliament to avoid the opposition that has aggressively targeted it over alleged patronage to the Adani Group, and confirmed that it has decided to take the battle to the rival terrain.
“It is only natural that some people will be unhappy and express their anger when action is taken on such a scale. But neither the country will bow to these false allegations nor this campaign against corruption will be stopped,” Modi said.
In a rejoinder to the opposition’s attack over corrupt businessmen fleeing the country, the PM said that while the accused swindled Rs 22,000 crore from public sector banks and fled abroad during the Congress regime, his government had managed to recover Rs 20,000 crore from the fugitives. The PM said people are carefully watching and they fully understand those who are involved in corruption have come together.
Modi also criticised Congress’s protests over Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. “Now the court orders are being questioned,” he said without mentioning names.
The PM – who had started off by praising BJP workers for their commitment to the organisation and by emphasising on the need for them to study, familiarise themselves with contemporary trends and embrace modernity – struck a combative note while referring to the opposition’s campaign against him. He was taking off from where he had left while addressing BJP’s parliamentary party meeting where he told MPs to prepare themselves for an escalation from opponents since they were frustrated after their defeat in just-held elections in the northeast.
Speaking at the party headquarters, the PM said BJP is now the only pan-Indian party. “We have two governments in the northeast, and we are also part of the two coalitions in the region. We are the number one party in Karnataka and in Telangana we are the only party which is seen as trustworthy,” Modi said as he referred to the efforts made by BJP to expand its presence in areas that had remained outside its grasp for decades.
He also said while India is witnessing unprecedented growth, the enemies of the country inside and outside have joined hands and are trying to weaken the strong constitutional machinery on which the nation is marching ahead. “It was natural for anti-India forces within and outside the country to come together. These forces do not want to see India succeed and want to deprive the country of the successes it has been attaining,” the PM said.
