50 days after his gutsy move of Demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given an interview to a private magazine India Today. In the interview, PM Modi slammed the opposition for delaying discussion in the Parliament following the demonetisation. He also attacked them for using the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for “openly supporting and protecting the dishonest”.
Highlights:
He dismissed the charges by the Congress that demonetization was done for ‘political gains’. While the party declared that the demonetisation was a political decision, it also charged the Centre for making the common man suffer.
In reply the two contradictory allegations, PM said that Congress’ attack on him was false and illogical.
“Maybe, as members of the Opposition, they have to conjure something up to criticise me about, however, illogical it may be. I sympathise with their difficulty,” Modi said.
He also repeated his charge on the Congress that former PM Indira Gandhi had junked the project of note ban, as declared by Madhav Godbole’s book ‘Unfinished Innings: Recollections and Reflections of a Civil Servant- fearing backlash in elections.’
“I pity a few of our opponents, especially the Congress leadership, for the desperation they have been exhibiting.Congress leaders are entirely pre-occupied with only one thing-elections.
There is nothing political in the demonetisation decision…it was a tough decision taken to clean up our economy and our society. If I were guided by short-term electoral politics, I would have never done so.”“If you act with clarity and with the purest of motives, the results will be there for any to see. Whatever my critics may say, I seek no personal benefit from all this, only the greater good.”
He also said that the Black money has all been taken out into the public, whomsoever it may belong to either corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen or any other professionals. False notes have been instantly neutralised.
Owners of the black money may hide behind the accounts of others, but they can be traced easily. In this game of ‘hide and seek’, they just have a few days left. But the govt has an action plan and determination to seek them out. Money carried by terrorists, Maoists and other extremists has also been neutralised.
When money returns to the bank, it loses its anonymity. Every single penny leaves a path. This improves the game as black money that did not have a particular address till date has been tagged with one.
Regarding former PM and economist Manmohan Singh, he said that it is exciting that the quote ‘world’s monumental mismanagement‘ arises from a leader who has been at the wheel of India’s economic run for the past 45 years. His reference to ‘organised loot’ was perhaps a reference to the never-ending series of scams under his tenure as prime minister during the UPA’s rule. And as per the Demonetisation, it is the unique step to seize the plunder of the corrupt.
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