Modi will not stop, action on corruption to continue: PM

Launching the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha election campaign in Uttar Pradesh from Meerut on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily on the Opposition INDIA bloc on the issue of political corruption.

“Modi’s mantra is bhrastachaar hatao, woh kehte hain bhrashtachari ko bachao [Modi’s mantra is to remove corruption and they (INDIA bloc) protect the corrupt. Now you (people) have to decide],” he said at the Gaurav Samman rally held in honour of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, on whom the Bharat Ratna was conferred posthumously. The rally was held at the Potato Research Institute ground where Modi shared the stage with the BJP’s new ally, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, Chaudhary Charan Singh’s grandson.

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“We have started a battle against corruption to ensure that nobody can gobble up money but a few people are upset because we have been initiating action against corruption,” the Prime Minister said.

“When Modi is fighting corruption with full force, they have formed an INDI alliance, they think Modi will get scared but India is my family. Many corrupt people are in jail, they are not getting bail from courts,” he said.

“Modi is not going to stop no matter how many attacks they launch,” he said.

Criticising the INDIA bloc, he said, “They can neither think about the welfare of the country’s soldiers nor farmers nor fishermen.”

The Prime Minister also attacked the Congress for giving away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. “The Congress committed a sin by chopping and handing over a limb of Bharat Maa to Sri Lanka,” he said.

Earlier, Modi began his speech with “Ram Ram”. Modi highlighted the developmental works and welfare schemes implemented during his 10-year tenure and sought to connect with farmers in this agricultural belt by reminding people how his government conferred the Bharat Ratna on Chaudhary Charan Singh posthumously. “Our government got the privilege of giving him Bharat Ratna, I pay tribute to Chaudhary Saheb,” he said.

After the Modi government announced the Bharat Ratna decision in February, Jayant Chaudhary had lauded the move with his comment “Dil jeet liya (this has won my heart)” on X.

Thereafter, Jayant joined the NDA, snapping ties with the Samajwadi Party. It was his first appearance on stage with Modi on Sunday.

Addressing the gathering, Chaudhary expressed gratitude to the government for conferring the Bharat Ratna on his grandfather.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the rally and said, “People have faith in Modi’s guarantee and they will give him a third term as Prime Minister.”

On his part, the Prime Minister said, “I have a deep association with Meerut as I started the election campaign in 2014 and 2019 here and now the first rally of the 2024 elections is being held here.”

“The 2024 elections are not only about forming a government but this mandate will make India the third largest economic superpower in the world. When India was the 11th largest economy in the world, there was poverty all around. When it reached the fifth position, 25 crore (250 million) people came out of poverty. When India reaches number three, poverty will not only go away in India, but the country will also get new energy,” he said.

He reiterated, “India’s time has come. Today, India is taking unprecedented decisions on the construction of infrastructure, countless opportunities are being created for the youth, women power is coming forward with a new resolve.”

“The whole world is watching India with confidence, our government has also started preparing for its third term. We are making a road map for five years, what decisions have to be taken in 100 days after the formation of the government, what is the development plan in 10 years,” he said.

“Modi is not only worried about the present generation but also about the future generations. The 10-year report card of the NDA government is in front of you, many works have been done in the 10 years which were considered impossible. A grand temple of Ram Lalla wase built in Ayodhya. Our soldiers had given up hope of one rank, one pension, we implemented it, gave ₹1 lakh crore to the ex-servicemen as their right,” he said.

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Modi said reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and the assemblies seemed impossible, but the Matra Shakti Vandan Act made it possible.

He said he understood the pain and suffering of every poor person. Therefore, the Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched providing health insurance cover for medical treatment of up to ₹5 lakh, 80 crore (800 million) poor are being given free ration, which no one had done before, he said.

The country’s first Namo Bharat Corridor is being built from Delhi to Meerut, he said, adding that work is being done on the Meerut Metro as well.

“Expressways are being built, Dhyan Chand Sports University is being constructed in Meerut,” he said.

He appealed to the people to ensure the victory of Arun Govil (BJP candidate from Meerut), famous for having essayed the role of Ram in the popular TV serial Ramayan, Rajkumar Sangwan (RLD, Baghpat), Union minister Sanjeev Balyan (BJP, Muzaffarnagar), Chandan Chauhan (RLD, Bijnor) and Pradeep Chaudhary (BJP, Kairana).