PANAJI (India): After demonetising high-value notes to control black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he had “more projects in mind” to rid the country of corruption and was ready to face the consequences.

“This is not the end. I have more projects in mind to make India corruption-free. .... Cooperate with me and help me for 50 days and I will give you the India you desired,” he said after laying the foundation stone of an airport and launching work on electronic city project in Goa.

“We will take action against ‘benami’ property; this is a major step to eradicate corruption and black money ... If any money that was looted in India and has left Indian shores, it is our duty to find out about it,” he said.

“I know that (some) forces are up against me, they may not let me live, they may ruin me because their loot of 70 years is in trouble, but I am prepared,” the prime minister said in a speech which saw him getting emotional a few times. He said the people voted against corruption in 2014.

Appeals to people to show patience for another 50 days

“I am doing what I was asked to do by the people of this country and it had become clear from the very first meeting of my cabinet when I formed the SIT (on black money). We never kept the people in dark.”

Hitting out at previous governments, he said they “neglected this ...we took a key step to help honest citizens to defeat the menace of graft.” In a direct attack on the opposition UPA, Modi said “those who were involved in the coal scam, 2G scam and other scams now have to stand in queues to exchange Rs4000”.

“This suffering is only for 50 days. Once there is cleanliness (swachhata), not even a mosquito can fly. .... This is a 70-year-old disease and I have to remove it in 17 months. I will expose corruption going on since independence; even if I have to employ one lakh youths for this, I will do it,” he said.

Referring to criticism of the demonetisation move by opposition parties, he said “they thought if they pull my hair, I will do nothing. But even if you burn me alive, I am not afraid”.

Revealing the efforts behind the demonetisation move, the Indian prime minister said it was “a secret operation I started 10 months back and had formed a small team. “It was of course not the one like (Defence Minister Manohar) Parrikar had launched. We had to print new currency notes and take other steps.”

Appealing to the people to bear with him for 50 days (till December 30), he said: “If you find anything wrong with my intentions or my actions, hang me in public. I promise you I will give you the India which you desired.

“If someone faces problem, I also feel the pain. I understand their problem but this is only for 50 days and after 50 days we succeed in this cleansing.”

Observing that the entire population, barring a few hundred thousand corrupt people, was working to make this move successful, he said on the night of November 8, when he announced the demonetisation plan, “crores of people slept peacefully, but a few lakh (corrupt) people were buying sleeping pills”.

“I started this fight on the back of honest people and I have full faith in their power. Everyone is saying that they are facing problem but they are happy that it will benefit the country,” he said, while greeting the bank employees and the youths who were chipping in to help people standing in queues outside banks.

Referring to recent rumours about shortage of salt in the country, Modi said “this is being done by those whose black money is being rendered useless”.

Launching the greenfield airport at Mopa in Goa and the work on electronic city project, the prime minister lauded Parrikar for ushering in political stability in the state after a span of several years. He said that stability had brought in development, benefiting the state and quoted reports that Goa had emerged as number one among the smaller states.

Modi said he was proud to launch the projects which had been promised by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2016