PM Modi seeks legal guidance on repatriating looted funds to victims of corruption

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he was taking legal advice on how to return the money of poor people looted in corruption.Referring to the seizure of mounds of cash by the Enforcement Directorate from the domestic help allegedly linked to the secretary of a Jharkhand minister, Modi wondered why such persons were close to the Congress first family. They have made the workers house a godown of corruption.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he was taking legal advice on how to return the money of poor people 'looted' in corruption.

Referring to the seizure of ''mounds of cash'' by the Enforcement Directorate from the domestic help allegedly linked to the secretary of a Jharkhand minister, Modi wondered why such persons were ''close to the Congress' first family.'' ''They have made the worker's house a godown of corruption. This is not the first time as a bigger seizure was made from an MP (in Jharkhand) earlier also and it was such a big cache that even machines were tired of counting.'' The PM was addressing a rally at Vemagiri here, which was attended by TDP leader Nara Lokesh and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan.

''Why is that those, from whom mounds of cash is recovered, are close to the Congress' first family? Was the seized cash meant for supply somewhere, is it that Congress' first family has created warehouses of black money? The country wants to know from Congress shehzada,'' he said in an apparent jibe at Rahul Gandhi.

Modi alleged the Congress and INDI alliance people 'abuse' him whenever he 'catches' their black money. However, he was worried not about the abuses, but the poor, ''whose money these corrupt have looted.'' He further said, ''Modi is taking legal advice''.

So far, the ED alone has attached property worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore and ''if others'' (central agencies) are included it may be more. ''I am taking legal advice on how the money can be returned to those from whom it has been looted,'' he noted.

Rs 17,000 crore has already been returned to the rightful owners. ''No poor person's right will be affected, this is Modi's guarantee,'' he added.

Recalling the legendary actor-politician from the state, N T Ramarao, Modi said the former had taken Lord Ram to every household.

However, the Congress, due to appeasement, boycotted the Ayodhya Shri Ram temple consecration and was sacking those party leaders from the organisation, who visited the shrine. Lashing out at the Congress and the ruling YSR Congress in the state, he said while the former has accepted defeat ahead of the polls, the latter has been rejected by people totally.

Corruption and land and liquor mafia reign supreme in the YSRCP rule, he alleged.

NDA will not only create a record in Lok Sabha polls, but will also form government in Andhra Pradesh. He said the NDA will come to power in all states where Assembly elections are happening.

Stressing the need for a "double engine" government in Andhra Pradesh, Modi said the YSRCP dispensation promised to set up three capitals in the state, but couldn't even establish one. Mocking the YSRCP regime, he said, "They can only do corruption management, it's not up to YSRCP to do financial management." Describing the Polavaram project as the "lifeline" of Andhra Pradesh, he said the union government has allotted Rs 15,000 crore for the project, but the state government failed to take it forward, leaving farmers in the lurch.

In the name of development, zero work has happened in the state, while corruption stood at 100 percent, he alleged.

Referring to YSRCP's promise of phased prohibition of liquor in the state, Modi said, ''Today the state government itself is involved in liquor dealings and corruption." In a rally at Anakapalli, Modi said this is the first polls being fought on the trust of "Viksit AP and Viksit Bharat" and today India became the fifth largest economy in the world and the first to land on the moon's southern pole.

Taking on the Congress and YSRCP, Modi said in neighbouring Karnataka, "tanker mafia and land mafia" are running the government while in AP sand mafia, land mafia, liquor mafia are reigning supreme.

Citing the alleged acts of vandalism reported at temples across Andhra Pradesh three years ago, Modi assured that the NDA, if voted to power in the state, will crack down on those behind the attacks on the state's culture.

Seeking votes for NDA candidates, the PM said this is the first poll being fought on the trust of "Viksit AP and Viksit Bharat" and today India is the fifth largest economy in the world and first to land on the moon's south pole.

Listing out the development works taken up by the NDA government at the Centre, Modi said there was only 4,000 kms of national highway network in the state till 2014 and now it stands at 9,000 km.

Noting that the Centre has sanctioned 24 lakh houses for the poor of the state, Modi said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's government could not complete even half of them.

On the proposed railway zone with headquarters at Visakhapatnam, the PM claimed that though the union government approved a separate railway zone for the city, the state government is yet to allocate the land required for it.

"Their only agenda is where there is no scope for corruption, no work to be taken up." He highlighted various proposals for different sections, mentioned in the BJP's manifesto.

Notably, Modi did not utter a word on the Muslim Reservations in both the meetings. Elections to 25 LS seats and 175 Assembly segments in AP will be held on May 13.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)