PMs I-Day speech warning for corrupt netas, officials
Bhubaneswar, Aug 16(Reporters Today Bureau): Prime Minister Narendra Modi springs surprise in all his Independence Day addresses from the ramparts of the Lalquilla. This time was no different. But what he said on August 15 has triggered panic among the corrupt officials and politicians in all parties and officials of all cadres. Modi exhorted the people to not glorify people tainted by corruption and said the country now need to act sternly against corruption and corrupt practices.
The speech was in a very informal manner and in the backdrop of massive seizures of cash and gold jewelery from a top Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee allegedly involved in the teacher recruitment scam during his tenure as Minister of the Education Department in West Bengal. It is not only politicians about whom the Prime Minster hinted. He also has cautioned the bureaucracy which acts as the buffer between the government and the politician and businessmen. A whoomping Rs 390 crore worth cash and gold was seized from a businessman in Maharashtra a few days after the recovery of cash from Chatterjee while another TMC leader Anubrat Mondal and his kins are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation for involvement in bovine smuggling in West Bengal. The Enforcement Directorate raids are gradually gathering momentum after the Supreme Court verdict on its functioning. The general perception is that more leaders in several states are likely to fall in the ED trap. Interestingly, the agency has nabbed people belonging to the opposition camp which the opposition has been describing as vindictive politics.
The seized amounts are mostly in gold, Rs 2000 and Rs 500 denomination notes. When the Prime Minister announces that those who have looted the people of the country have to return the loot to the country, the opposition is bound to be worried about the possibility of another demonetization move of the government.
Corruption cannot happen by any single individual and always works like a system. There has to be more people involved—bureaucrats, bank officials and businesses. Hence the address of the Prime Minister is seen as a warning to such people who indulge in corruption. Notably, eight IPS and around 10 IAS officers have been summoned by the ED and CBI for questioning in the coal scam and cow smuggling cases of West Bengal. Some BSF officials are also allegedly involved in these scams and have been named in the cases.
The Prime Minister also spoke about ‘parivarbad’ in almost every aspect of like and governance. Though he did not name anyone, his hint was clearly on the Congress and some regional parties which have been promoting leaders of respective families. Unfortunately the leaders of several regional parties have been caught for corruption and some have even been convicted by courts of law over corruption. The prime minister, in an apparent hint to the breaking away of JD (U) from the NDA in Bihar and joining hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal founded by Lalu Prasad Yadav who has been convicted in the infamous ‘Fodder’ scam in that state.
