Ready to face probe if corruption charges against me as PM: Narendra Modi
New Delhi: Narendra Modi on Friday said that, if voted to power, he would give priority to preventing corruption in future before addressing the old cases and would be ready to face investigation if charges are levelled against him "professionally".
He also talked about dealing with criminalisation of politics, saying his government would ask the Supreme Court to create a mechanism to fast-track pending cases against lawmakers.
During an interview to CNBC Awaaz, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate insisted that he would not make any special appeal to any community for votes as he believes in oneness of all the 1.25 crore people of the country and would not mind defeat at the hustings in the process.
Describing corruption as a "disease", Modi said he would put in place a mechanism by which corruption could be prevented.
"My priority will be develop a system by which the scope of corruption is minimised. We have to decide either I should concentrate my efforts on preventing new corruption or to clean up the old mess. My conscience says that my focus should to be ensure that new mess (of corruption) is not created," he said.
"We have to decide whether I should focus my energy on preventing new corruption or waste time on cleaning up old mess," he added.
"If I create such a mechanism which has technology and transparency and all the preventive measures, we will address jointly the issue of corruption. That should not be political, otherwise the cause will be defeated and this disease will continue to increase," he said.
In case charges of corruption are levelled against him in the capacity of Prime Minister, Modi said, "Professionally if there are any allegations against me, those cases should get stuck but should continue. Modi should stop them."
Modi was questioned on the protests by BJP over Sonia Gandhi's meeting with Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid when its own president Rajnath Singh had met muslim clerics in Lucknow.
Responding, he said the objection was not to the meeting but to the "message" that was going out. "We want Soniaji to meet muslims, christians, sikhs, anybody. It is part of democracy.... But a particular community was told whom to vote for. This is against Constitution and electoral laws. It is not wrong to meet but the message that has gone out is a matter of concern," the BJP leader said.
Asked whether he would make an appeal to muslims in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) from where he is contesting, Modi said, "I will not make any appeal to hindus or muslims but to the entire 125 crore people of India. If it suits them, then it is fine. But if does not suit them, I am ready to face defeat in the elections, I am ready to be wiped out.
"My mantra is that all are one. I cannot accept a divide between brothers of the country in the name of secularism. In the name of secularism, the nation has been divided."
To a question on RSS, Modi described it as the "biggest non-governmental organisation (NGO) which has served the nation selflessly" and said its "strengths" should be respected.
"It (RSS) is a cultural organisation but it has become a fashion to attack it. Congress attacks RSS whenever it is on the brink of defeat. News traders and vested interests have caused immense damage to RSS....It is utmost injustice to drag RSS in the political discourse," said Modi who himself has been groomed by the RSS.
Responding to a question on criminalisation of politics, he said if BJP comes to power, affidavits of all winning candidates would be handed over to the Supreme Court with a request to expedite the cases pending against them. This could be then replicated at state level, he said.
