"Those who are rejoicing will regret": PM Modi on electoral bond data

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dismissed the issue of Electoral Bonds data as a setback for his government and said that no system is completely perfect and the flaws can be removed. He also said that people who create ruckus on this issue will repent. When asked during a TV interview whether the electoral bond data was a shock to the ruling BJP, PM Modi said, "Tell me what have we done that I should see it as a shock. I firmly believe that "Those who are making a fuss about it (the details of the bond) and are proud of it will regret it."

The Prime Minister said that it was only because of his government's electoral bond scheme that the sources of donations and its beneficiaries could be traced. He said that if information is available today then it is because of bonds. PM Modi questioned whether any agency could tell about the sources of funds and their beneficiaries for the elections before he came to power at the Center in 2014. He said, "No system is perfect. There may be some flaws, which can be removed."

The opposition parties have adopted an aggressive stance towards the government citing the revelations made after the Supreme Court order. The court had declared the giving of donations anonymously as unconstitutional and had directed to make all the information related to electoral bonds public. Many companies facing criminal investigation had purchased large amounts of bonds.

During the interview, PM Modi emphasized that one should not see politics in everything he does. He said that he works for the country and Tamil Nadu is a great strength of the country. The Prime Minister said that if votes were his main concern, he would not have done so much for the North-Eastern states. He said ministers in his government have visited the area more than 150 times and he himself has visited there more times than all other prime ministers combined.

PM Modi said, "Just because I am a political leader does not mean that I work only to win elections." He said that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) connects different sections of the society and represents the aspirations of the people. PM Modi said that BJP will get votes in Tamil Nadu not in opposition to DMK but because of the support of the party (BJP). He said, "People have seen the work we have done in the last 10 years. Tamil Nadu has decided that this time BJP-NDA will win." He said that BJP worked for Tamil Nadu even when it did not have a single candidate for the municipality there.

Modi praised BJP's Tamil Nadu unit president K. Annamalai and said that he is attracting the youth. The Prime Minister said that he feels that if money and corruption were important to him (Annamalai), he could have joined DMK. He said, "Developed India means that every corner of the country should get the benefits of development. I believe that Tamil Nadu has the potential to become a driving force in our dream of a developed India."