‘The corrupt have Paap Ka Dar’: PM on Enforcement Directorate’s actions

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives exclusive interview to ANI

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi refuted the opposition party’s accusation that it was “sent to jail” by the BJP government, saying the cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate were at most against individuals and entities who had no political affiliation.

Speaking to ANI, PM Modi said honest people have nothing to fear but those involved in corruption “gift of sin“(Fear of sin).

“How many opposition leaders are in jail? No one told me. Are these the same opposition leaders who used to run the government? People are afraid of sin (paap ka dar hai). What fear does an honest person have? When I was in charge When they put my home minister in jail, the country should understand that only 3% of ED cases involve political leaders while 97% of cases are against people who are not part of politics,” the Prime Minister said.

He added: “They are either drug mafias or officials involved in corruption, targeting some of the officials who created the benami assets and they have been sent to jail.”

The Prime Minister further praised the Enforcement Directorate and said the central agency has made significant contributions in fighting corruption since he took charge of the Center in 2014.

“Prior to 2014, ED had only seized assets worth Rs 5,000 crore. Did anyone stop ED from taking action and who benefited from it? During my tenure, assets worth Rs 100 crore were seized. Isn’t this people’s money? ?”nation? asked the Prime Minister.

“In the last ten years, we have recovered Rs 2,200 crore in cash, while the pre-2014 ED could recover only Rs 34 lakh in cash, which could be carried in a school bag. It took 70 pick-up trucks ( chota haathi) to maintain Rs 2,200 crore, which means the education ministry is doing a good job,” he added.

The prime minister said corruption had devastated the country and must be tackled.

“They (ED) are detaining people, they are also seizing cash, and I believe corruption has destroyed this country. We should fight corruption with all our strength. This is my personal belief,” he said.

India Bloc leaders have repeatedly expressed their views on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party “targeting opposition leaders” by “misusing central agencies”.

The letter submitted by India to the Election Commission of India on March 22 this year claimed that “the arrest of individuals holding constitutional offices is clearly intended to have a stifling and deleterious effect on the democratic functioning of their respective state affairs, as well as the parties themselves”.

India Group made representations to the ECI after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case. The case related to alleged irregularities and money laundering during the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy Case, 2022, which was later abandoned. BRS leader K Kavitha and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia are also lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the excise policy case.