NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) action, claiming that the anti-money laundering agency has attached assets worth Rs 1 lakh crore during his tenure unlike pre-2014 period when the total assets attached was only worth Rs 5,000 crore.
In an interview with the news agency ANI, PM Modi said that honest person has nothing to fear about and only those involved in corruption have ‘Paap ka dar’ (fear of sin).
The Prime Minister also dismissed the allegation that opposition parties are “being sent to jail by the BJP government”, adding that only three per cent of ED cases are linked to politicians.
Defending the ED’s action in money laundering cases, PM said that the maximum number of cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate are against those persons and entities who have no connection with politics.
“How many opposition leaders are in jail? No one tells me. And is this the same opposition leader… who used to run their government? There is fear of sin (paap ka dar hai). What fear does an honest person have? They had put my home minister (Amit Shah) in Jail when I was chief minister,” said the PM.
“The country should understand that political leaders are involved in only 3 per cent of the ED cases and 97 per cent of cases are registered against the ones who do not belong to the politics,” PM Modi added.
“They are either drug mafia, officers who are involved in corruption, against some of the officers who have created benami assets and they have been sent to jail,” he said.
Prime Minister lauded the ED and said that since he took charge at the Centre in 2014, the central agency has significantly contributed to tackling corruption.
“Before 2014, the ED attached only assets worth Rs 5000 crore. Did anyone stopped ED from taking action and who were getting benefitted? In my tenure, assets worth Rs 1 lakh crore has been attached. Is this not the money of the people of the country?” PM asked.
“In the last ten years, we have recovered Rs 2200 crore in cash, while ED before 2014, could only recover Rs 34 lakh cash which can be carried in a school bag. While 70 small trucks (chota haathi) will be needed to keep Rs 2200 crore. It means that the ED is doing a good job,” he added.
Prime Minister said that corruption has destroyed the country and it has to be tackled with full might.
“They (ED) have held people and seized cash as well and I am convinced that the corruption had destroyed the country. We should fight against corruption with our full strength. And this is my personal conviction,” he said.
PM Modi’s statement was in the context of INDIA bloc leaders’ allegations that ruling BJP has been “targeting of opposition leaders” through the “misuse of central agencies”.
In an interview with the news agency ANI, PM Modi said that honest person has nothing to fear about and only those involved in corruption have ‘Paap ka dar’ (fear of sin).
The Prime Minister also dismissed the allegation that opposition parties are “being sent to jail by the BJP government”, adding that only three per cent of ED cases are linked to politicians.
Defending the ED’s action in money laundering cases, PM said that the maximum number of cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate are against those persons and entities who have no connection with politics.
“How many opposition leaders are in jail? No one tells me. And is this the same opposition leader… who used to run their government? There is fear of sin (paap ka dar hai). What fear does an honest person have? They had put my home minister (Amit Shah) in Jail when I was chief minister,” said the PM.
“The country should understand that political leaders are involved in only 3 per cent of the ED cases and 97 per cent of cases are registered against the ones who do not belong to the politics,” PM Modi added.
“They are either drug mafia, officers who are involved in corruption, against some of the officers who have created benami assets and they have been sent to jail,” he said.
Prime Minister lauded the ED and said that since he took charge at the Centre in 2014, the central agency has significantly contributed to tackling corruption.
“Before 2014, the ED attached only assets worth Rs 5000 crore. Did anyone stopped ED from taking action and who were getting benefitted? In my tenure, assets worth Rs 1 lakh crore has been attached. Is this not the money of the people of the country?” PM asked.
“In the last ten years, we have recovered Rs 2200 crore in cash, while ED before 2014, could only recover Rs 34 lakh cash which can be carried in a school bag. While 70 small trucks (chota haathi) will be needed to keep Rs 2200 crore. It means that the ED is doing a good job,” he added.
Prime Minister said that corruption has destroyed the country and it has to be tackled with full might.
“They (ED) have held people and seized cash as well and I am convinced that the corruption had destroyed the country. We should fight against corruption with our full strength. And this is my personal conviction,” he said.
PM Modi’s statement was in the context of INDIA bloc leaders’ allegations that ruling BJP has been “targeting of opposition leaders” through the “misuse of central agencies”.