Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar
Kaithal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that corruption is deadlier than cancer and there is an urgent need to free nation from it.
Speaking at a public function for laying the foundation stone of the Kaithal-Narwana-Hisar-Rajasthan national highway (NH-65) here, Modi said, “This is my first official engagement in Haryana after becoming the Prime Minister. I am thankful to you for the love and affection bestowed on me.”
“I promise that I will return, with interest, the love. I will deliver on development,” he said.
“Like we have arteries in our bodies, we have roads in our country, they act as arteries,” he added.
“I know Haryana as much as I know Gujarat. I have a learned a lot from Haryana and it is a matter of pride for me that I have come from the land where Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born. And his teachings are still relevant in Haryana,” the PM added.
"Some people said that I did not say anything about corruption in my address on Independence Day. Let me remind them, I had talked about the mera kya (What about me), mujhe kya (It does not concern me) culture of corruption which has ruined this country. This has to change now," he asserted.
“Corruption is a dangerous disease, deadlier than cancer and can destroy the country. I can feel that the country is not ready to live with it any longer,” he said, adding, "You tell me if we should take tough measures against it (corruption). I need your blessings. With your blessings, I will rid the country of this disease. We will take those steps."
Addressing the massive gathering, Modi said, “The large gathering here indicates the trust people of the country have on development, it has become a priority for the common man,” adding, “The world is moving ahead and we also have to move forward and development is the only way."
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was also present on the dais and addressed the gathering. The NH-65 project was approved by the United Progressive Alliance government.
Assembly Elections are due in Haryana in October this year.
First Published: Tuesday, August 19, 2014, 15:53
