CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted to the Opposition’s allegations that the Centre was misusing the Central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), stating that only 3 per cent of cases being probed by the ED were linked to those in politics.
“Of the corruption cases probed by the Enforcement Directorate, only three per cent have people associated with politics. The remaining 97 per cent of cases are linked to officials and criminals. Those who see benefits in a corrupt system are the ones who are crying foul and presenting the wrong picture,” the Prime Minister told Hindustan in an exclusive interview.
He said the narratives that the Centre is only behind political corruption were false and circulated by people who are being probed by the agencies.
PM Modi said the Enforcement Directorate took action against corrupt officers and attached assets worth thousands of crores. “Before 2014, the ED attached assets worth only ₹5,000 crores, whereas in the last 10 years, that amount has increased to more than ₹1 lakh crore. Before 2014, ED had seized only ₹34 lakh in cash, while under our government it has seized more than ₹2,200 crore in cash. Imagine, if this money was invested in welfare schemes for the poor, how many people would have benefited, and how many opportunities could have been created for the youth? So many new infrastructure projects could have been launched,” he said.