Power corridors sanitised from corrupt elements under Modi rule, says VP

Ahmedabad: Power corridors have been sanitised from corrupt elements under the Narendra Modi government and this is why some people are upset as they believed the law would never be able to catch up with them, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Friday.

Addressing students at the 72nd convocation of Gujarat University, the VP said that gone were the days when work happened only through corruption or patronage.

"Our power corridors have been duly sanitised from corrupt elements. As a result, some people are upset. They were under the impression their good days would never end. They thought the law would never catch up with them," he said.

Such people were under the impression that they were above the law but today their misunderstanding has been cleared, Dhankhar said.

Hailing the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for policies that had made India the fifth largest economy in the world, Dhankhar said the country had to pledge its gold reserves due to lack of foreign exchange in the 1990s.

"Some people told me you are vice president and you need to detach yourself from politics. I agree. I am not a stakeholder in politics. But I am a stakeholder in nationalism, in governance. How can I step back from the fact that being Indian is my identity? My country is great and I am in awe as I see my country's progress," he asserted.

Speaking at the event, Dhankhar said industry leaders must fund research and development activities in educational institutions.

"It is time for our industry to handhold institutions for research and development. In 2009, the Centre made available USD 5 million to a foreign university. I am not against making donations anywhere on the planet. But why not in our own country? USD 50 million was donated by an industrialist once (to a foreign institution). I am not against it. But, why not in our country," he questioned.

In his address, Dhankhar also drew parallels between former president late APJ Abdul Kalam, an eminent scientist who was affectionately called 'missile man' by admirers, and PM Modi.

"Kalam was part of ISRO. There was a mission. The director said this was not the right time. But Kalam insisted we must go ahead. A decision was taken by him. But the mission failed. Normally the person in charge addresses the media. But the director went to the media and said we will succeed next time," said the VP.

When Kalam succeeded in his second attempt, he insisted the director should address the press but the latter asked him to do so, said Dhankhar.

"PM Narendra Modiji also believes in such hand-holding. In the Tokyo Olympics, our women's hockey team lost. The PM talked to every player. They were crying. The PM of 140 crore people was hand-holding them," said Dhankhar.

Similarly, when Chandrayaan-2 failed in the final stages, the PM said "We will succeed in the future and in August 2023 India made history by landing on the south pole of the moon", Dhankhar pointed out.

The VP also said Gujarat's soil is special because sons of this soil have always shown India the way in every era, be it Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and in today's era, Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.