Exclusive/ When Opposition Leader Refused to Make Corruption Allegations Against PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi proudly recounted his chief ministerial days, when the Leader of Opposition (LoP) from the Congress party in Gujarat Assembly had clearly refused to make corruption charges against him and his government. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network’s Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami, PM Modi, while emphasizing on the action taken by his government against those involved in the acts of corruption, recalled the time, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, and the then LoP in Gujarat Assembly Amarsinh Chaudhary publicly stated that they will do anything but won’t make corruption charges against him. The prime minister also asserted that his government was able to take such firm actions against the corrupt as it managed to keep itself untainted and is firm that this foul play should stop in the country.

Talking exclusively to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, Prime Minister Modi, while responding to a question, when asked why the corruption has not been eliminated even after 10 years of his government’s rule, stated, "You need to see, how did the form of debate on corruption changed in our country. Earlier, it was a fashion among all the political leaders to speak against corruption, but were involved in the same illegal deeds, while trying to look white and bright.”

Earlier, I was asked, why I didn't take action against corruption: PM Modi

"Ever since I came, everyone's secrets have started getting exposed, that these people, who used to talk big on corruption, were themselves dipped in it. This has come to the fore with evidence. Now, they have felt that they won’t be able to speak against corruption, so they stopped speaking on it,” the prime minister said.

He even mentioned the incidents, when he was being questioned for not taking action against corruption, despite making allegations. “I was being asked that you came to power in 2014, making corruption charges, then why did you not take action? I didn’t want to take any revenge from anyone, but, I let the government free hand on the issue of corruption, asked to verify all the charges as per the law, and asserted that no one should be spared, whether from my party or some other party, whether political or non-political, whether businessman or bureaucrat, whether drug-mafia or gun-mafia. So, they started their action,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated.

“Slowly, we moved ahead and now when we witness around Rs 1.25 lakh crores attached by the probe agencies, when we see mountains of cash being seized, then how would we say that the ED and the CBI are doing wrong. Country is witnessing all,” PM Modi added.

We can only take such action against corruption, when we ourselves not tainted: PM Modi

Talking about his government’s commitment in the fight against corruption, he clearly said, “We can only take firm action against corruption, when we are not ourselves tainted and are not clinged ourselves to such acts. Then only, when we go to the common people with great courage, they believe that if Modi is saying then he will definitely try.”

“Suppose, with all the efforts, a victim of corruption gets 8 out of 10 paisa, which he lost, then a message will go that though the remaining 2 paisa didn’t return, but Modi worked hard to get that 8 paisa back,” he said.

PM recalls his days as Gujarat CM

Recounting one special incident, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, PM Modi said, “Secondly, my own track record despite being in the government for all these years. You would remember, Amarsinh Chaudhary, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Gujarat, in his official statement had stated, we will do anything, but won’t make corruption charges against Modi ji. And he was not a small leader, he had already been a chief minister. He had said that I cannot talk about corruption on Modi ji and nor can talk on his government.”

PM Modi's response on transformation of PSUs

When asked, why does the Opposition call PM Modi’s ‘Reform, Perform, Transform’ just a slogan, he responded by saying, “Our transformation of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) is the best example to support the ‘Reform, Perform, Transform’ model of the NDA government.

“I stopped misuse of PSU resources by the political class. The banking sector performance and decline of Non Performing Assets (NPAs) prove our track record,” the PM stated. He even took a swipe at the previous governments of the Congress for misusing resources of the government enterprises, which led to their collapse. 

During the interview, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also revealed his mega plan for Kolkata and Guwahati to make the two cities as mega economic hubs of South East Asia. He also stated that India is a “mine of opportunities” and the world recognises that the nation’s growth positively impacts the global economy.