Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that after 50 days of demonestisation decision, the hardships faced by honest people would begin to ease, while the difficulties of the corrupt and dishonest people would begin to mount.
Holding out no such promise that the hardships caused by the scrapping of Rs1,000 and Rs500 currency notes would all together be over after 50 days, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that people stood by him all through ever since he made the demonetisation announcement on the night of November 8 and would continue to do so in the coming days as well.
Addressing a public rally after laying foundation stone for Rs3,600 crore mid-sea Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial project and a host of infrastructure projects collectively worth Rs1,06,000 crore, Modi said, “I had told the people of the country that they would have to suffer hardships for the first 50 days of demonetisation. The people have endured the hardships for the sake of the better future of the country.
I am confident that they will continue to endure hardships in the coming days as well. After 50 days of demonetisation, the hardships of honest people will begin to ease, while the difficulties of dishonest people will increase”.
“After the demonetisation announcement decision, efforts were made by vested interests to mislead or scare them, rumour mills worked overtime, but people whom you call illiterate used their common sense and stood by the demonetisation decision taken in the national interest. So much so that through their verdict in favour of the BJP in the recent municipal council polls, the people of Maharashtra put their stamp of approval on the demonetisation decision and the message went people elsewhere the country that the truth is on our side and the country is heading in a right direction,”the Prime Minister said.
Exhorting the wrong-doers to mend their ways, Modi said, “Even now I would like to advise the dishonest people to mend their ways, follow the law and rules and like others, lead a life without worries. I invite you to do so. let me assure you (wrong-doers), this Government is not out to destroy you. Nor is this Government out to hang you. But you have to pay to the Government whatever is due from you for your wrong doings. You will not be spared on that count”.
Sending out a clear-cut message to black money hoarders and tax evaders, Modi said, amid thunderous applause and shouts of “Modi….Modi….Modi” : “If you still think that you can get using some methods that you would use in the past, you are sadly mistaken. You should know the Government has changed. You should also know that after a gap 30 years, the people have elected Government that has an absolute majority. You have to also know that the people have elected a Government that is committed to removing corruption and eradicating black money. Our Government will take our war against black money and corruption to a logical conclusion”.
“Some people were thinking they would have their black notes converted into white by luring the bank officials. These individuals have not only failed in their attempt, but have also landed the bank officials concerned in trouble. Now we are seeing all kinds of people engaged in illegal things are being caught by law enforcers. They were thinking that once they deposited black money into banks, their job would be over. But, the actual drama has begun after black money was deposited into the banks,” he said.
Modi also warned the wrong-doers that “125 crore people” would not spare them. “ If a handful of wrong doers are of scared of Modi, I am okay with it. If they are not scared of the Government, I am okay with it. But these dishonest individuals can ill-afford to underestimate the anger of 125 crore people. You will have to be scared of them. The people in the country are not ready to tolerate the injustice or dishonesty of these handful of individuals. Because they are in the forefront of war against black money and corruption,” he said.
Modi, who began his day by inaugurating the new campus of National Institute of Capital Markets of the Securities and Exchange Board of India at Patalganga in Raigad, performed the jal-poojan and bhoomi-poojan of the grand memorial of great Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea and later laid the foundation of several infrastructure projects totaling Rs 1,06,000 crore, including the include two metro lines, the Mumbai Trans-Harbour link, the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-III.