India
In yet another conversation with the press, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to ANI, taking several tough questions and answering them with confidence. When asked why all the political opponents of the BJP against whom he had levelled serious charges to win the 2014 election are still not behind the bars, he had this to say:
New Delhi: Speaking to news agency ANI on January 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, without naming UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, that they were out on a bail. Modi also referred to Chidambaram as the "former finance minister" who was forced to appear before a court often (in connection to the case of alleged scams in the Aircel-Maxis deal).
When was asked why the alleged economic offenders were "roaming around in Lodi Garden", the Prime Minister assured the nation that none would be spared.
However, Modi added that these legal procedures should not be construed as "political vendetta". He said the law would take its course without the government interfering in the process.
It was clear the Prime Minister was fighting the perception that his government has done nothing to bring the alleged criminals to book, much as the BJP is believed to have benefited electorally from those allegations.
The interviewer, journalist Smita Prakash, did not ask any question on Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra.
On the question of fugitives, the Prime Minister assured the people that they would be brought back to the country, the process for which is well underway either in courts or in diplomatic talks with countries where they have hidden or sought shelter/asylum.
When asked about the promise of bringing Indian money back from the tax havens where it has been stashed, the Prime Minister said, "Aise deshon men jo paise aayenge, aane waale samay men woh uski real-time jaankaari denge (in the future, as and when Indian money arrives at these destinations, we will get the information in real-time)," about his bilateral talks with several countries on the sidelines of the G-20 summit where all member nations agreed unanimously that tax havens were an international menace.
Modi said that the global forums now agree that black money often funds terrorist activities, which aggravates the scourge.
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