‘I Know They’re Powerful But…’ PM Modi Throws Weight Behind CBI in Crackdown on the Corrupt

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister stressed that his government does not lack the political will to fight corruption.

“The desire of the country and its citizens”, he added, is that no corrupt person should be spared.

“Corruption is not just a small crime. It snatches the rights of the poor and that lead to the birth of many criminals,” PM Modi said.

The government, he said, had started action against black money and benami property on mission mode. “Besides the corrupt, we are fighting causes of corruption,” he said.

Building a developed India is not possible without professional and efficient institutions and the CBI therefore has a huge responsibility, PM Modi said.

“CBI has given hope and strength to the common citizen. People hold protests to demand CBI inquiry as CBI has emerged as a brand for justice.” the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister asserted India cannot move forward without professional and efficient institutions like CBI.

“From bank frauds to wildlife-related frauds, the CBI’s scope of work has increased manifold but the main responsibility of the CBI is to make the country corruption free,” he said.

PM Modi further noted that in the last six decades, the CBI has earned recognition as a ‘Multi-dimensional’ and ‘Multi-disciplinary’ investigation agency.

“Even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to the CBI.Its scope, today, has widened to a greater scale; from metro cities to forests, from banks to wildlife protection, CBI has been investigating almost each and every aspect. Also, even the cyber crimes are being dealt with by this agency,” he said.

Terming corruption the biggest enemy of merit, PM Modi said it encourages nepotism and dynastic rule. When these two increase, the country’s strength gets affected, and when strength is weakened, it impacts development, he said.

For decades, the prime minister added, the corrupt have created ways to loot the country’s riches, and this was done by robbing government wealth.

Taking a veiled dig at the Opposition’s allegation of the agency being misused by the Centre, the Prime Minister said, “I know that the people against whom you are taking action are very powerful, they have been part of the government and system for years. Even today they are in power in some states, but you (CBI) have to focus on your work, no corrupt person should be spared.”

PM Modi said that ten years ago, there was a competition to do more and more corruption, adding, “big scams took place during that time but the accused were not scared because the system stood by them. After 2014, we worked on a mission mode against corruption, black money.”

Today, through ‘Jandhan’ bank accounts, which link Aaadhar cards and mobile phones, beneficiaries get their full rights, he added.

During the programme, an investiture ceremony for recipients of the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of the CBI was held wherein the Prime Minister presented medals to the recipients.

At the event, the PM also released a postage stamp and a commemorative coin marking the diamond jubilee celebration year of the CBI. The prime minister also launched the agency’s Twitter handle.

The CBI made its maiden appearance on Twitter in October last year during the Interpol General Assembly when a handle with the coveted blue tick was launched to share news about the event.

The CBI was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India dated April 1, 1963.