New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday – in a virtually two-hour, all-out assault on the opposition, and particularly the Congress – hit out at rival events and politicians dealing with corruption allegations, and thundered a warning to his rivals, declaring, “Whoever looted the nation should pay”.
The Prime Minister’s sharp feedback – in his last speech in Parliament earlier than the April/Might common election – come as opposition politicians face corruption instances and costs on account of motion by central investigative companies, such because the Enforcement Directorate; the latest instance is former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested final week.
“Businesses are taking motion in opposition to corruption and there’s outrage over it… Ten years in the past in our Parliament, there have been discussions on scams and the Home demanded motion each time. (However) in the present day, when motion is being taken in opposition to the corrupt, some individuals oppose it?” Mr Modi requested.
The Prime Minister – whose BJP is accused of utilizing companies just like the ED to focus on rivals, significantly earlier than elections – sought to show the accusation on its head, stating “throughout their (the Congress-led UPA) tenure, investigative companies had been used for political functions solely”.
“Let me shed some mild… below the PMLA (Prevention of Cash Laundering Act) we registered twice the instances than earlier. Throughout tenure of Congress, ED confiscated properties of Rs 5,000 crore solely. Nonetheless, throughout our tenure, ED confiscated properties value Rs 1 lakh crore…” he mentioned.
“You (referring to corruption-accused opposition leaders) should return the cash you plundered…” he continued.