In a freewheeling interview with India Today, PM Narendra Modi waxed eloquent on a number of pressing issues in public space including demonetization, the Opposition grabbing the limelight in its effort to push the NDA government on the backfoot and how wrong it was in its interpretation of the note ban impact. Fighting back in his tardemark style, PM Modi explained his stance, what he expects it to yield in terms of welfare of the country and how his decisions are always apolitical and based on just one thing – will the people be better off in the long run. Here are the highlights of PM Modi’s interview today:
1. Counterfeit notes have been neutralised and this has deprived terror merchants of all types, including naxals.
2. We took the decision on demonetisation for a long-term structural transformation. Our objective clearly was to clean our economy and society of the menace of black money.
3. PM Modi claried government’s frequent modification in rule post demonetisation. We must distinguish niti and ranniti (policy and strategy). Demonetisation decision was our ‘niti’ and our ranniti is different to stay a step ahead of enemies as ‘tu daal-daal, main paat-paat’.
You May Also Like To Watch This:
4. 1.25 billion people have wholeheartly welcomed the demonetisation decision and supported it.
5. Demonetisation should be taken as the long term structural transformation. The revenue collected by it will be used for the common people of the country.
6. Earlier, the IT department was shooting in dark, but now the people have voluntarily come forward to declare their unaccounted money.
7. No politics behind demonetisation order, it was one of the toughest decisions to take. It is meant to clean up as well as boost economy.
8 Black money now has an address. Government will seek out hoarders. The hoarded money will be brought into system.
9. The central government has zero tolerance to corruption. Honest won’t be harassed and the dishonest will be caught.
10. Demonetisation move was carefully thought out. It was taken with economy was in good condition. We ensured that minimal destruction was caused.