‘They began with jeeps, then moved to guns’: PM Modi slams Congress over corruption

Launching an all-out offensive against the Congress-led opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that when a government works with the spirit of ‘India First’ instead of ‘Family First’, it shows in its working.

In his blog titled ‘Institutional respect and Institutional contempt - two contrasting approaches’, PM Modi wrote that in 2014, people of the nation voted decisively for “honesty over dynasty, development over decay, security over stagnation, opportunities over obstacles and vikas over vote-bank politics”.

Alleging that the party didn't believe in internal democracy, he said that if a leader wanted to head the Congress, he or she would be "shunted out". He alleged that the Congress saw the defence sector as a source of income.

"Sadly, Congress does not believe in internal democracy. If a leader dares to dream to head that party, he or she is shunted out of the Congress," he wrote.

"Congress has always seen the defence sector as a source of income which is why the armed forces never got the respect from the Congress that they deserved," he added.

Asking people to think before they vote, PM Modi said, "From the press to Parliament, from soldiers to free speech and from the Constitution to the courts, institutional insult is the Congress way. Everyone is wrong, only the Congress is correct. As you go to vote, remember the past and how one family's desire for power cost the nation so greatly. If they could do it then, they can surely do it now," he wrote.

Hitting out at the Opposition for raising questions on CAG and other government bodies, the prime minister said, "Remember the UPA years, when the Congress questioned the CAG just because that institution exposed their corrupt shenanigans like 2G, Coal Scam etc. CBI became the Congress Bureau of Investigation- it was used time and again on political parties just before crucial parliamentary votes. Tensions were deliberately created in organisations such as IB and RAW."

On how the courts functioned during Congress rule, the PM said: “Congress’ modus operandi is simple- reject, discredit and threaten. If a judicial verdict goes against them, they reject it, then they discredit the judge and thereafter, talk about bringing impeachment motions against the judge.”

The CBI, he alleged, became the Congress Bureau of Investigation and was used time and again on political parties just before crucial parliamentary votes.

"Tensions were deliberately created in organisations such as IB and RAW. A policy decision taken by no less than the Union Cabinet was torn into pieces by someone who was not a member of any ministry and that too, in a press conference," he said.

He was referring to Rahul Gandhi tearing a copy of an ordinance which sought to overturn a Supreme Court ruling on immediate disqualification of a lawmaker upon conviction.

"The NAC was created as a body parallel to the Prime Minister's Office. And then, Congress talks about institutions?" he asked.

Continuing his attack, he said, "When our forces strike at terrorist elements, Congress leaders accuse the political leadership of doing 'Khoon Ki Dalali.' When our air warriors strike at terrorists, Congress questions that too."

In an opaque reference to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra's appearance before investigating agencies, he said, "The sense of entitlement can be seen in their conduct towards routine legal processes. At present, their top leadership is on bail vis-a-vis a major scam. When the authorities seek to question them on their dealings, they do not even bother to reply."

Hitting back at PM Modi over the blog post, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said that it is the BJP which has "systematically attacked all institutions, including media, in the last five years."

"BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this," she said.