New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today slammed corruption and dynastic politics, saying these are the evils that India is facing and must fight to overcome. Addressing the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 76th Independence Day, he said nepotism is hollowing out the country's institutions and is leading to corruption in many cases.
"Corruption is damaging country like termite. The country will have to fight it... We have to weed out corruption," he said, shaking a fist.
India, he said, needs to be alert against the corrupt as well as corruption.
"We need to come together as a society to punish those who have propagated the evil of corruption. We are making efforts to seize properties of people who have fled the country. I request you all to help me fight corruption," he said. "It is our endeavour that those who have looted the country will have to pay."
Echoing the BJP's battle cry during elections -- "Bhai-Bhatijabaad, parivarvaad" -- he said, "bhai-bhatijawad, pariwarwad (focus on dynasty and family) is not just confined to politics".
"The shadow of parivarvaad lies on several institutions. Our many institutions affected by family rule, it harms our talent, nation's capabilities and gives rise to corruption... We have to develop an intolerance for this to save institutions. The welfare of the family has nothing to do with the welfare of the nation. Let's cleanse India's politics and institutions from the shackles of parivaarwad," he said.
"We need to discourage this in institutions, in sports. We need to start a revolution against it. This is our social responsibility. We need transparency," he said.
Dynastic politics has been one of BJP's biggest charges against the Congress. Terms like "bhai-bhatijawaad" and "bua-bhatija"had been liberally employed against the Samajwadi Party when it had an alliance with Mayawati.
Earlier this year, after a string of state elections, PM Modi had said it was his decision to not field children of BJP MPs.
"Several MPs and party leaders were seeking tickets in the recently concluded elections for their children and many of them were denied. BJP MPs' children did not get tickets to contest because that comes under dynastic politics. They did not get tickets because of me," PM Modi had said after the party's victory in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa.