Narendra Modi in Moradabad defends demonetisation: 'Should I not fight corruption?'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP volunteers at the Parivartan Rally in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. According to ANI, the rally was flagged off by the party president Amit Shah in Saharanpur on 5 November. This is Narendra Modi’s fourth such rally. After his rally in Moradabad, Modi will go to Rampur. Modi took to the stage and turned the tables on those criticising his government over the demonetisation move, saying it’s only the corrupt themselves who are facing the pinch. [caption id=“attachment_3138022” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi during the parivartan rally. Image courtesy: Twitter@BJP4UP[/caption] “It’s the dishonest people who are unable to go to banks and deposit their ill-gotten wealth. They are the ones complaining against the government’s demonetisation move,” Modi said. “The corrupt and rich people have asked the poor villagers to safeguard their money for them, to stand in lines and deposit it in banks for them. Instead of standing in queues at banks, they are standing in queues outside the houses of poor people.” “I am a person who has highlighted corruption. The ones who have money to hide are the ones blaming me,” lamented Modi. “Should I not fight corruption? Will corruption disappear by itself?” he asked. Modi reminded BJP volunteers and party workers once again of the government’s assurance that things will ease up after 50 days. “I had said there will be hardships for now, but things will improve. You might have to stand in queues to withdraw money, but it’s essential to eliminate corruption.” He also reiterated the government’s push to go cashless. “There are 40 crore smartphones in the country today. Everything is available on mobile banking, net banking and through credit and debit cards. You just need to download an app on your phone, and for 40 crore people, everything is possible without visiting a bank or standing in queues,” he said. Modi also hit out at those saying Indians are resisting change or are technologically challenged. “They should remember that the same Indians elected a new government in place by pushing a button,” he said. Modi further highlighted the lack of progress made by the country’s villages, blaming successive state governments for their failure in acting on their promises. “There were 18,000 villages in the country without electricity. I had asked for 1,000 days to ensure India no longer suffers from electricity shortages. Not even half of that time has passed, but we are already well on our way to delivering on our promise,” he said. Taking a swipe at state governments, Modi used the Madhya Pradesh example to highlight the efficiency of the BJP. “Madhya Pradesh was considered a ‘Bimaru’ state. But the people of MP gave the BJP a chance. The state government there, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has transformed the state. Today, Madhya Pradesh is a shining example of efficiency,” Modi said. The party has been using these rallies to kick up a political storm in the poll-bound state of Uttar Pradesh, hoping to destabilise the position that Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party occupy in the state. He said big states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar — incidentally all ruled by non-BJP governments — need to prosper first for the country to develop. “If we want to make India prosperous, we need to make the big states poverty-free first. States like UP, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal need to prosper,” he said. Earlier governments, he said, used to work only for their own benefit. “The parties worked for their own, never for the poor. But I am my own man. I don’t have a high command. I report only to the people. And if they want me to leave, I will pack my bags and leave,” he said. According to this earlier Firstpost article , BJP’s Parivartan Yatra is not focused around a single leader and is expected to raise the poll fever in the state and spice up the campaign narrative. Modi’s last and concluding rally would be held in Lucknow on 24 December. A national leader, a state leader and an MP (by rotation) would be present for all four yatras. The party has also has formed a team of 15000 parivartan sarathis, who will visit 50,000 village panchayats in the state and hold ‘parivartan chaupals’, asking people to bring about change. They will cover around 1700o kilometers in 402 Assembly constituencies.​ ​