‘You’ll have to shell out looted money': PM Modi defends ED action against corruption

Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the ‘Motion of Thanks’ on the President’s address in Lok Sabha during the Budget session of Parliament, in New Delhi,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the investigative agencies are independent unlike in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government’s tenure.

“During their (UPA) tenure, investigative agencies were used for political purposes only. Let me shed some light: Under the PMLA, we registered twice the cases than earlier,” the prime minister said in his ‘Motion of Thanks’ reply to President’s address in the Lok Sabha.

“During the tenure of Congress, ED confiscated properties of ₹5,000 crore only. However, during our tenure, the ED has confiscated properties worth ₹1 lakh crore. You will have to shell out the plundered money,” PM Modi asserted.

“Now middlemen are finding it difficult to loot the poor. We have identified the power of DBT, Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile phone. We have directly transferred more than ₹30 lakh crore to the people’s bank accounts. A prime minister from Congress had said the poor received only ₹15 out of 100 sent by the government,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister’s remarks are a counter to the opposition’s allegations of central probe agencies being misused for political purposes.

Modi attacks Cong on inflation

During his address, the prime minister blamed the Congress for inflation. “Two songs on inflation were superhits in our country – ‘Mehngai Mar Gayi’ and ‘Mehngai Dayain Khaye Jaat Hai’. Both of these songs came during Congress’ governance,” he said.

“Inflation was in double digits during UPA’s tenure, it can’t be denied. What was their government’s logic? Insensitivity. They said – you can have expensive ice creams but why do you cry about inflation?…Whenever Congress came to power, it strengthened inflation,” PM Modi added.

“Congress has developed a ‘cancel culture’ – we say Make in India, Congress says cancel; we say Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Congress says cancel; we say Vocal For Local, Congress says cancel, we say Vande Bharat train, Congress says cancel; we say new Parliament building, Congress says cancel. I am surprised because these are not Modi’s achievements, these are the achievements of the country,” Modi said.

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