Speaking exclusively to Aaj Tak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the widespread issue of corruption, especially focusing on the seizure of black money by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Prime Minister’s interview comes against the backdrop of a tough election campaign, with Prime Minister Modi set to win a historic third term.
Acknowledging the multifaceted nature of the problem, Modi said, “There are different types of corruption.” “One which is done in big business in which the taker does not tell anything, the giver also does not tell anything.”
Keeping a close eye on the ground reality, PM Modi recently pointed towards the ongoing controversy regarding the recruitment of teachers in Bengal. According to the Prime Minister, here is an example of corruption that leaves a clear mark. He said, “Like in Bengal, in the teacher recruitment case too, most of the people are innocent.” “It has been learned that this man has got the job with money. He has nothing in his hand, the land or house has been mortgaged and the same Gave money from, so there is a mark.”
Modi did not shy away from highlighting instances of corruption even within political institutions, citing alleged misuse of cooperative funds by the ruling Communist Party of India (CPIM) in Kerala. “The Communist Party runs an honesty racket in Kerala,” he said. “But what kind of people are they, they have cheated this money in the name of their personal business partnership and have committed fraud worth thousands of crores.”
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With a firm tone, Modi underlined the government’s efforts to trace and recover illegally obtained money. “Now there’s a mark on it,” he insisted.
Displaying sympathy for the victims of corruption, Modi elaborated on his efforts to get justice for those who have been wronged. He said that black money or wrongly generated money has to return to the poor. He said, “I feel from my heart that these people have misused their position and looted the money of the poor.”
Looking towards the future, Modi expressed his commitment to implement legal reforms to effectively deal with corruption, especially on the aspect of returning black money to the poor. He confirmed, “I would have to. If I had to make a legal change I would.” “I am taking the help of the legal team right now because I have asked people from the judiciary to tell me what to do with the money lying around.”
Taking inspiration from personal experiences, Modi narrated an interesting anecdote from his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, highlighting the challenges posed by seized illegal goods. “When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, a huge quantity of black jaggery was seized in Bhavnagar,” he recalled. “Right now it is kept in the police station. Even if it rains, mosquitoes and flies will come. It has become difficult to pass through that route. Now the law says that you cannot remove it, so face the consequences.