Congress and AAP Slamming Over Corruption; Modi’s Reaction

Prime Minister Modi criticized Congress and AAP for alleged corruption during his Rajya Sabha address. He accused Congress of protecting corrupt individuals and questioned AAP's integrity, highlighting the Delhi excise policy case and challenging both parties' stance on investigative agencies.

In his response to the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted both the Congress and the AAP. Modi criticized the Congress party for spearheading a ‘save corrupt agitation’ while also berating AAP for supposed corruption especially concerning the axed 2021-22 Delhi excise policy.

The Prime Minister pointed out what he called the Congress Party’s shifts in position that it has taken on corruption. The Prime Minister went on to say, ‘Earlier, the Congress used to ask where the corrupt were being punished? Today, when the government has started taking strict action against corruption, you are shielding the culprits’.

While addressing AAP, Modi mentioned numerous frauds related to the party like the excise policy case where Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested. The Prime Minister countered the Congress on its previous claims made against AAP, dubbing the authenticity of evidence that the Congress had produced during the press conference. PM Modi further questioned: “Now that the Congress and AAP are partners, was all the evidence presented a lie?”

Both parties, according to the Prime Minister, were hypocrites as far as the utilisation of central investigative agencies was concerned. He pointed out that AAP had once demanded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to arrest then Congress chief minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel. ‘How same ED and CBI have turned into corrupt?,’ Modi asked, while addressing recent allegations by the opposition parties of their misuse.

Modi’s speech is made at the time when political tension increased in the country due to arrests of the most significant AAP members and new political coalitions before the elections. The Prime Minister’s statement indicates that the BJP government is keen on fighting against corruption and has attempted to counter the opposition on this matter.

Also Read: PM Modi to address Rajya Sabha after emotional speech in lower house

With the political discussion on corruption and the application of investigative departments, Modi’s speech is likely to raise the debate in the further elections race.