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Amid Opposition accusing the central government of using central probe agencies against its leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said probe agencies are independent and the Constitution has kept them so.
“Investigating is the work of the agencies, agencies are independent and the Constitution has kept them independent,” he said. “It is for courts to judge their actions,” he said in the Lok Sabha on Monday while replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address.
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The Prime Minister said those who have been convicted of corruption and are coming out of jail on parole are being glorified by Opposition leaders. He added, “I will continue to fight against corruption…Jisne desh ko loota, usko launtana padega…”
“I promise to the country, from this sacred place of the House, whoever wants to make any allegation, make it. The country will not be allowed to be looted…and whatever has been looted will have to be returned,” PM Modi said in the Lok Sabha.
PM Modi said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized just ₹5,000 crore during the Congress’ rule, but the figure reached ₹1 lakh crore under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.
PM Modi’s statement came amid the row over the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and ED summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned last week: “How is this possible that there are no other criminals anywhere but only in opposition?”
In November last year, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had called that the three central agencies — the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department — “jawans” (soldiers) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
PM Modi’s scathing attack on Congress
In his reply, the Prime Minister strongly attacked the Congress and took a veiled dig at its leader Rahul Gandhi. “Whenever Congress comes to power, it brings inflation,” PM Modi said.
He added the BJP government has been able to contain inflation despite the geo-political situation in the world created by two wars. He said the country was on course to becoming the world’s third-largest economy.
PM Modi also said on Monday that former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru considered Indians “lazy” and “less intelligent”. “The country has suffered through the mindset of the Congress party, which has never trusted the capability of the countrymen. It considered itself rulers and the public as lesser and inferior,” he added.
PM Modi further expressed confidence in his third straight victory in the Lok Sabha polls and asserted that the BJP will win 370 seats, while the NDA will get over 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls.
“On the basis of the experience of 10 years of governance, looking at today’s strong economy and the rapid speed with which India is progressing today, I can confidently say that in our third term, India will be the third largest economic power. This is Modi’s guarantee,” the PM said.
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Published: 05 Feb 2024, 08:04 PM IST
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