Modi pledges to cleanse Parliament of criminals

Narendra Modi on Monday vowed to cleanse the political system and Parliament of criminal elements if he comes to power and said his first job would be to set up a panel to probe pending criminal cases against Members of Parliament.

The Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate said he would ensure that all offenders are sent to jail after asking the Supreme Court to hear the cases against them expeditiously.   

Modi’s promise to crackdown on all MPs who have a criminal past, irrespective of which party they belonged to, came at a rally in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. “I have decided that when a new government is formed after May 16, I will set up a committee to find out what cases are pending against whom. Candidates submit their forms while filing nominations outlining the details of cases against them. I will not discriminate. I will not spare even the BJP or National Democratic Alliance candidates,” said Modi.

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Modi added, “I will ask the Supreme Court to hear the cases fast. Those who have committed crimes will go to jail and their seats will go to those with a clean image. No accused will dare to fight the polls. Who says this cleansing can’t happen? I have come to cleanse politics. It is necessary to free Indian democracy from criminalisation.” 

Modi also stepped up his attack on the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress, saying the power game by the clan of three parties was responsible for the poor plight of Uttar Pradesh and the nation.

He further commented, “While the country has been destroyed by the governments of mother and son, Uttar Pradesh has been destroyed by a father-son government. On one hand, there is a father-son duo while on the other hand is Behenji (Mayawati). They waste their whole tenure of five years in teaching a lesson to each other. And mother and son (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) simply add fuel to the fire, inflame it. This clan of SP, BSP and Congress is thriving here in this manner. Enough of this game of power has continued. Now give me a chance to serve you.”