‘CORRUPT ON CHOWKIDAR’S RADAR’
KURUKSHETRA: Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s “safai abhiyan” (sanitation campaign) to eradicate corruption and litter from the country would be stepped up.
Addressing a gathering, comprising a large number of womenfolk at the Swachh Shakti -2019 programme at Kurukshetra on Tuesday, the PM said the BJP-led government at the Centre was able to achieve so much in terms of development and implementation of welfare programmes due to its brute majority in the Parliament. Modi said his emphasis on Swachh Bharat resulted from his deep concern about the miseries of women. “When I announced the Swachh Bharat programme from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the opposition ridiculed and criticised me. My thought process and understanding was questioned. My rivals said what kind of Prime Minister talks about the toilet from the ramparts of the Red Fort,” the PM said. Attacking his rivals, Modi said they are the ones who are not concerned about the plight of women.
“The disdain shown by persons who were born with a golden spoon in their mouth does not affect me at all. Let them insult me but I will continue to work towards ensuring the dignity of women,’’ the PM said.
Modi said people of the country voted to bring an honest government in 2014 and the BJP-led central government has lived up to people’s expectations. “We have eradicated the middlemen out of every system. Every honest person in this country trusted this chowkidar. Only the corrupt found me troublesome,’’ he said to an applauding crowd.
“You would have seen in Haryana how the corrupt are running for cover from the probe. And they are resorting to intimidating the investigating agencies and showering me with abuses. But rest assured, this chowkidar would not budge,’’ Modi said.
Modi said Haryana has a special place in his heart as it was from here that he kicked off his campaign in 2014 after the BJP declared him the PM candidate.
“And today again I am here on this land of Kurukshetra to seek blessings from the mothers of this country,’’ he said in an oblique indication towards the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He also praised the state saying it came out with flying colours in achieving every goal. “The one rank-one pension promise was made from this very land, the Beti Bachao- Beti Padhao programme was also started from here. Whatever affection I got from the people of Haryana, I have tried to return it,’’ he said.