People in public life brazenly supporting black money, says PM Narendra Modi

Taking a swipe at political rivals targeting him over demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said people in public life are brazenly supporting corruption and black money.

"Values in public life are eroding... I see that people in public life are giving speeches in support of corruption and black money. They are brazenly out in open doing so. In any country, erosion in values is the biggest crisis," he said.

"Coming generations will not forgive those who are betraying the values," he said.

He was speaking at the release of a book published in memory of late party veteran Kedarnath Sahni, who was a prominent leader in Jan Sangh and then in BJP in Delhi.

One should be spotless in public life, Modi said, citing Sahni as an example.

There is need to stand against this mindset to compromise with loss in values, he said, adding it is one thing if some people do not have strength to fight it and totally another to carry aloft the "flag of evils".

He recalled that Sahni gave shelter to numerous Sikh families at his home and mobilised party workers and others to help them during the riots in the wake of Indira Gandhi's assassination.

All are aware of the attitude of the then government, he said targeting the then Congress government, and alleged that "human slaughter" happened at that time and families of Sikhs were butchered.