Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to pursue graft at all costs.
At the CBI’s diamond jubilee celebration today in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi reassured the agency’s staff, “The country is with you.”
PM Modi made his remarks in response to accusations made by opposition parties, including the Congress, that the government has been abusing its agencies to target the BJP’s competitors.
“The elimination of graft is the CBI’s top priority. Fighting corruption does not require political will on our part. Some of the accused are strong individuals who aim to divert attention from the investigating agencies, according to PM Modi. But you need to pay attention to your job. The nation is behind you, he declared.
No matter how powerful they may be, he urged officers to move immediately against the corrupt.
These people will continue to divert your attention, but you need to concentrate on your job. No crook should be left unpunished. No slack should be taken in our endeavours. This is what the nation and the people of the nation want. In an apparent jab at the opposition groups, PM Modi said, “The nation, law, and Constitution are with you.
Eight opposition parties wrote to PM Modi last month claiming abuse of the government’s central investigative agencies. “The majority of the important politicians who have been detained, searched for during raids by your administration’s inquiry agencies since 2014 belong to the opposition. Intriguingly, investigation teams take their time with cases involving opposition lawmakers who switch to the BJP, the authors wrote in the letter.
PM Modi claimed that India had a legacy of corruption from the period of Independence at the CBI event today. “Corruption is a special kind of criminality. It is the main contributor to all crimes and the biggest impediment to progress, according to PM Modi.
“Ten years ago, when CBI was commemorating its golden anniversary, the governing administration was more well-known for corruption. Scams worth billions of dollars occurred, and graft pervaded every level of government. This resulted in policy paralysis, decreased investor and public trust in the system, and ultimately weakened the nation, said PM Modi, alluding to the United Progressive Alliance administration.
The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, he claimed, has made it possible for the government to seize illegal properties worth 20,000 crore, and anti-corruption laws have been reinforced.
To date, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi’s assets totalling $15,000 crore have been transferred to state-run banks by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, and at least nine other states have revoked their general permission to allow the CBI to conduct investigations within their borders.
