New Delhi: In a nearly two-hour long all-out assault on the opposition, and particularly the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thundered a warning to his rivals, saying, “Whoever looted the country will have to pay.” He also attacked rival political parties and individuals who are being accused of corruption.
In his last speech to Parliament before the general election in April/May, the Prime Minister made some pointed remarks. Central investigative agencies, like the Enforcement Directorate, have been investigating opposition politicians for corruption; the most recent example of this is the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren last week.
“Agencies are taking action against corruption and there is outrage over it… Ten years ago in our Parliament, there were discussions on scams and the House demanded action every time. (But) today, when action is being taken against the corrupt, some people oppose it?” Mr Modi asked.
The Prime Minister – whose BJP is accused of using agencies like the ED to target rivals, particularly before elections – sought to turn the accusation on its head, stating “during their (the Congress-led UPA) tenure, investigative agencies were used for political purposes only”.
“Let me shed some light… under the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) we registered twice the cases than earlier. During tenure of Congress, ED confiscated properties of ₹ 5,000 crore only. However, during our tenure, ED confiscated properties worth ₹ 1 lakh crore…” he said.
“You (referring to corruption-accused opposition leaders) will have to return the money you plundered…” he continued.
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