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Synopsis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi staunchly defended the usage of Electoral Bonds, emphasising their role in promoting transparency and accountability in political funding. Responding to questions regarding the publication of electoral bond data and accusations of embarrassment to his party, PM Modi reiterated his belief in the efficacy of Electoral Bonds in tracking the source of political funding.

The PM made the remarks during a interview with a Tamil Channel, Thanthi TV, yesterday. He said, “People who are protesting against the Electoral Bonds will soon regret it.” He highlighted the lack of a clear trail of funds to political parties before 2014 and credited Electoral Bonds for enabling the tracing of funding sources. “Today you are getting a trail because there were Electoral Bonds,” he emphasised.

He highlighted that while no system is perfect, Electoral Bonds represent a significant improvement over the previous opaque methods of political funding. PM Modi reiterated his government's commitment to addressing any shortcomings in the electoral funding framework to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

Turning to the contentious issue of the Ram Mandir construction, PM Modi expressed confidence in the process, attributing its progress to the judgment of the Supreme Court. The PM said,  "You see, the judgment of the Supreme Court came, based on which the construction of the Ram Temple began. The people building it are different. The trust is different, so it may be that this time it was decided by God himself. Otherwise, at the same time as the judgment of the Supreme Court, construction would have begun. After that, there would be the installation of Lord Ram's idol. There is no role of any human being in this, because it is happening step by step. Even the one who gave the judgment will not know. The matter will be resolved before the 2024 elections".

PM Modi also addressed accusations of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) being pitted against the opposition, asserting that cases would proceed impartially and dismissing attempts to undermine the agency's authority. The PM posed the question while also answering it at the same length, “Was the ED formed after our government came into power?” No. Did we enact the law of PMLA? No. It was already there. Now the question is, what has the ED done? It's an independent agency. It's working independently. We neither stop it nor do we send it. It has to work independently and come out right in the court's balance".

The PM also clarified the minimal number of cases against politicians being investigated by the ED, he remarked, “We have around 7000 cases with the ED. Out of those, the cases related to politicians are less than 3 percent. 7000 cases, and less than 3 percent are related to politicians.”

The Prime Minister further highlighted the disparity in the effectiveness of enforcement directorate between past administrations and the current government. He pointed out that while previous administrations only seized a meager sum of 35 lakhs over 5-10 years, his government has confiscated a staggering 2200 crores, indicating the robustness of the agency's operations. Illustrating the extent of corruption, he described instances where bundles of cash were discovered concealed in washing machines, hidden within pipes, or strewn across beds. He cited specific cases, such as the recovery of 300 crores from the residence of a Congress MP and the discovery of piles of money at the homes of ministers in Bengal. Expressing concern over the public's tolerance for such blatant corruption, PM Modi emphasised the need to eradicate this "disease" from society. He revealed that his government had attached approximately 3000 crores in assets in Bengal alone, emphasising the illegitimate means through which these funds were acquired.

PM Modi pledged to explore legal avenues to recover the funds and ensure justice for the victims of corruption. He highlighted the government's efforts in returning 17,000 crores to rightful owners and reiterated the public's growing trust in the Enforcement Directorate's actions.

The same morning, PM Modi conducted a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, addressing the crowd, the PM reiterated his administration's commitment to combating corruption. He asserted that certain individuals are unnerved by his anti-corruption measures.

"I am fighting a significant battle to safeguard our nation from corruption. This is why those involved are currently incarcerated, unable to secure bail even from the Supreme Court," PM Modi stated firmly.

He framed the upcoming elections as a clash between two ideologies, delineating the NDA's pledge to root out corruption against the INDI(A) Alliance's purported defence of corrupt leaders. PM Modi urged citizens to contemplate whether they wish to see corruption eliminated.

"Corrupt individuals need to heed this message... No matter how vehemently you target Modi, his resolve remains unshaken. No matter the stature of the corrupt individual, repercussions will undoubtedly follow. Those who have plundered our nation will be held accountable. This is Modi's Guarantee," he declared resolutely.

[Source: Narendra Modi YouTube Channel]