Wasn't voted to cut ribbons, light lamps: PM Modi

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], Nov. 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he was not voted to cut ribbons and light lamps but work as the country's watchman and fight the menace of black money that has destroyed the nation. "Have I been made the Prime Minister to attend small inaugurations and cut ribbons? The people are upset when I act as the 'chowkidaar'," he said while addressing a parivartan rally in Dehradun after the inauguration of the Char Dham highway project. Prime Minister Modi said India, which used to be called the 'bird of gold', has been looted by its very own people. "It is now high time for us to fight for the honest," he added. Asserting that the country has suffered due to both - 'kaala dhan' and 'kaala mann', Prime Minister Modi said it is his government's endeavour to strengthen the hands of the honest and law abiding citizens. Prime Minister Modi said black money has destroyed the nation and added that this government was fighting against the black money hoarders. "We had said that corrupt people will be punished and now this is happening. This is a 'Safai Abhiyaan' and the people of India have helped me," said Prime Minister Modi. "Fake notes, terrorism, human trafficking and drug mafia were all dealt with in one stroke after the demonetisation announcement on November 8," he added. Acknowledging that people faced a lot of inconvenience after demonetisation, Prime Minister Modi expressed his delight over the fact that the nation came forward to fight against corruption despite all hassles. The Prime Minister's outburst came hours after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati while defending the Rs. 104-crore bank deposits accused the ruling BJP of misusing power to malign her party's image. "Eying the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the frustrated Centre is trying to harass the people. The BJP is misusing the state machinery to malign the name of the BSP," she told the media in Lucknow. Mayawati stated that all BSP bank accounts are legal, adding deposits are the money collected as party funds honestly sans any wrongdoing. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said if Prime Minister Modi and the BJP have some amount of honesty left then they should provide details of their bank details before November 8. (ANI)