After demonetising high value notes to curb black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he has ‘more projects’ in mind to rid the country of corruption and was ready to face the consequences as forces are ‘up against me’ with their 70 years of loot being in trouble.
"This is not an end. I have more projects in mind to make India corruption-free. .... Cooperate with me and help me for 50 days and I will give you the India you desired,” Modi said after laying the foundation stone of Mopa greenfield airport and launching work on electronic city project in Goa.
“We will take action against benami property; This is major step to eradicate corruption and black money ... If any money that was looted in India and has left Indian shores, it is our duty to find out about it,” he said.
“I know that (some) forces are up against me, they may not let me live, they may ruin me because their loot of 70 years is in trouble, but I am prepared,” Modi said in a speech which saw him getting emotional a few times.
Those who were involved in the coal scam, 2G scam and other scams, now have to stand in queues to exchange Rs 4,000
He said the people voted against corruption in 2014. “I am doing what I was asked to do by the people of this country and it had become clear from the very first meeting of my Cabinet when I formed the SIT (on blackmoney). We never kept the people in dark.”
Hitting out at previous governments, the prime minister said they ‘neglected this ...we took a key step to help honest citizen to defeat the menace of graft’.
In a direct attack on the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who stood in a bank queue in Delhi on Friday to exchange old notes, Modi said, “Those who were involved in the coal scam, 2G scam and other scams, now have to stand in queues to exchange Rs 4,000.”
“This suffering is only for 50 days. Once there is swachhata (cleanliness), not even a mosquito can fly. .... This is a 70-year old disease and I have to remove it in 17 months. I will expose corruption going on since Independence; even if I have to employ one lakh youths for this, I will do it,” he said.
Referring to the criticism of the demonetisation move by opposition parties, he said, “They thought if they pull my hair, I will do nothing. But even if you burn me alive, I am not afraid.”
Revealing the efforts behind the demonetisation move, the Prime Minister said it was ‘a secret operation I started 10 months ago and had formed a small team’.
Appealing to the people to bear with him for 50 days (till December 30), he said, “If you find anything wrong with my intentions or my actions, hang me in public. I promise you I will give you the India which you desired. If someone faces problem, I also feel the pain. I understand their problem but this is only for 50 days and after 50 days we succeed in this cleansing.”
Observing that the entire population, barring a few lakh of corrupt people, was working to make this move successful, he said on the night of November 8, when he had announced the demonetisation plan, ‘crores of people slept peacefully, but a few lakh (corrupt) were going to buy sleeping pills as they had lost their sleep’.
“You’ll be shocked to know that many MPs asked me not to make PAN mandatory for any purchase of jewellery,” he said, adding, “Today those who never used to take care of their widowed mother, are depositing Rs 2.5 lakh in her account.”
“I started this fight on the back of honest people and I have full faith in their power. Everyone is saying that they are facing problem but they are happy that it will benefit the country,” he said, while greeting the bank employees and the youths who were chipping in to help people standing in queues outside banks.
Referring to recent rumours about shortage of salt in the country, Modi said ‘this is being done by those whose black money is being rendered useless’.
Launching the greenfield airport at Mopa in Goa and the work on electronic city project, the Prime Minister lauded Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for ushering in political stability in the state after a span of several years.
He said the stability had brought in development, benefiting the state and quoted reports that Goa had emerged as ‘Number 1 among the smaller states. This is due to the efforts of the people of Goa’.
Modi said he was proud to launch these projects which was promised by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He said the airport would lead to over 50 lakh people to come to Goa, which would not only benefit tourism but also generate employment and give a boost to the economy in Goa.
“The electronic manufacturing city is not merely a project. I see that the foundations of a 21st century Goa, a digitally-trained, youth-driven and most-modern Goa ka being laid today. It will convert Goa into a power house of India’s progress,” he said.
“Soon after assuming power, a Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team was formed to investigate into black money parked outside the country. Previous governments neglected this; Did I hide anything? We took a key step to help the honest citizens defeat the menace of graft.
“We collected Rs 67,000 crore under amnesty scheme. But in the last two years, through raids, surveys and declarations, the government has collected Rs 1,25,00 crore in its exchequer,” the prime minister said.
“I kept on administering small doses of medicine to improve the economic situation of the country (since I came to power),” he said referring to the initial Jan Dhan scheme aimed at financial inclusion.
“I am not born for the chair (not greedy for power). I have left my village, my family for the sake of the country,” the prime minister said.
During his speech, Modi said the government will crackdown on benami properties existing across the country.
“We are going to take action against the properties which are purchased in the name of others (benami). That is the property of the country. My government feels that it is our responsibility to help the poor and I will do it,” he said.
“When common people are facing hardships, I too feel bad about it. Please don't consider the decision as my arrogance. I do understand the problems that the countrymen are currently facing but this inconvenience and suffering is only till December 30. Once the cleansing is over, not even a mosquito will be there,” he said.
“I have prayers of the poor and blessings of mothers in this fight against black money and corruption which has become the driving force for its success. I will expose corruption since Independence,” he said.
The prime minister said when the Union government made a law mandating that jewellers need to insist for PAN card on purchase of any gold of more than Rs two lakh, more than half of the members of Parliament approached him seeking to relax it.
“There are few who even dared to give me in writing (asking to relax it). The day I make their letters public, they will not be able to go to their constituencies,” he commented.
The PM said the decision to impose excise duty on jewellery was met with a lot of opposition forcing the government to form an expert committee to study the implications.
“There were fears expressed that the jewellers would be harassed by Income Tax department. I gave them full confidence that no IT officer will trouble you. If anyone does that, record his conversation and give it to me, we will take action against him,” he said.
Expressing happiness over public reaction post-demonetisation, Modi said people have to stand outside the bank in long queues but say ‘we have to suffer a bit but the country is benefiting’.
Modi also appealed to the people to deposit stashed money in banks, and if required pay the fine and join the mainstream.
“If few people still think that they can wait, then they don’t know me,” he said.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the foundation-laying event of Mopa greenfield airport in Goa on Sunday. Photograph: ANI
