PM Narendra Modi speaks to ANI in an exclusive interview
Refuting the opposition parties' allegations of "being sent to jail by the BJP government", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the maximum number of cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate are against those persons and entities who have no connection with politics.
In an interview with ANI, Prime Minister Modi said that honest person has nothing to fear about but those involved in corruption has "Paap ka dar" (fear of sin).
"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 in Jail when I was Chief Minister. 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," Prime Minister said.
"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 added.
Prime Minister further lauded the Enforcement Directorate and said that since he took charge at the Centre in 2014, the central agency has significantly contributed in 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.
INDIA bloc leaders have repeatedly voiced their opinion about "targeting of opposition leaders" by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party through the "misuse of central agencies".
The letter submitted to the Election Commission of India by the INDIA on March 22 this year asserted that "arrests, of individuals holding Constitutional posts are clearly intended to have a stifling and deleterious effect on the democratic functioning of the affairs of their respective states, as well as the parties themselves".
INDIA bloc made a representation to the ECI, after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the excise policy case. The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy case 2022, which was later scrapped. BRS leader K Kavitha and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are also lodged in Tihar Jail in excise policy case.