Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday targeted the Opposition, specifically the Congress, as putting party above country. He was addressing the BJP’s last parliamentary party meeting this year.
Mr. Modi quoted from former civil servant Madhav Godbole’s book, wherein he recalled a conversation in 1971 between then PM Indira Gandhi and a Minister in the Cabinet, Y.B. Chavan. “Mrs. Gandhi turned down the proposal to demonetise, asking Mr. Chavan whether he expected the Congress never to contest another election. This proves that for them [the Congress], party is above country,” he said.
'Demonetisation a step in push for transparency'
Addressing the BJP parliamentary party, Mr. Modi recalled late CPI(M) MP Jyotirmay Basu’s advocacy of demonetisation in Parliament in 1972, where he had declared that the Indira Gandhi government of that time was “for, by and of black money”.
“The Left has not only electorally compromised with the Congress as they did in West Bengal this year, but seems to have ideologically compromised with them,” he said.
Attacking former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has been unsparing in his criticism of demonetisation, Mr. Modi said he advocated strong measures against corruption and black money but did “nothing” during his rule of 10 years.
Quoting Chanakya Neeti that said that after 10 years ill-gotten wealth turns useless, the UPA government’s 10 years of rule had pushed it past its sell-by date.
He said he was against unleashing an “inspector raj” on those adopting digital transaction systems after November 8 and if discrepancies on declared transactions before that period and after are noticed.
No ‘inspector raj’
“There will be no post-mortem. I firmly believe that by not unleashing inspector raj we will be able to digitise a large number of pure cash transactions,” he said.
In an assurance to party MPs, some of whom have given feedback that people were getting restless because of the hardships imposed by demonetisation, he said that his government was working to a plan.
“If you look at my government’s policy prescriptions, it has been relentlessly towards transparency. Demonetisation is just one step in that plan. My government has the whole plan in place, but we will not open our cards all at once.”
He urged party MPs to “go confidently among the people and tell them that this move will end the exploitation of the middle class and poor, and that it’s a question of a few more days of suffering.”
Pointing out that December 16 was Vijay Diwas or liberation day for Bangladesh, he said: “There was an opposition then too, but nobody asked for proof of the Indian Army’s valour in that war. Now, parties question the valour of a soldier who risks his life to guard our borders.”
He said that this reflected a fall in standards of public life that was worrying.
