Cuttack: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the opposition unity, saying the corrupt leaders were coming together “not to save the country but to save themselves”, in an apparent attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi.
“Due to the commitment of this government against black money and corruption, people those who are out on bail in the Rs5,000 corruption case and many others also involved in corruption cases have come together on the same platform,” Modi said while addressing a rally here on the occasion of four years of completion of his government.
He was apparently referring to the Gandhis taking bail in the National Herald case and opposition leaders coming together in Bengaluru during the Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony.
“As we promised four years ago about zero tolerance towards corruption, four former chief ministers are behind the bars,” Modi said.
The prime minister also said that this is a committed government instead of a confused government.
“The way in which our government is committed against corruption, this has made the enemies good friends,” he said. “The people of the country are watching them. These leaders have not come together for the country but they have come together to save themselves and their families.”
He alleged that opposition leaders were intent on destabilising the current government.
“But people know everything,” Modi said.
He added that President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and the Pradhan Sewak (Prime Servant) of the country come from very humble and poor backgrounds.
“We have seen the days of poverty. And we were not born with a silver spoon [in our mouths]. In fact, we did not see the spoon in our initial days,” Modi said, in an apparent jibe at Rahul Gandhi.
The Prime Minister also said that over the last four years, investigating agencies had raided over 3,000 locations and unearthed over Rs530 billion (Dh28.6 billion) of undeclared money.
Modi claimed that the government had even seized properties worth over Rs350 billion after the Benami Properties Bill was passed by the government.
“It was the commitment of the government that passed the Benami Properties Bill, instead of the confused government which delayed it for over 30 years,” he added.
