'Have no relatives to benefit from graft'

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his firm stand against corruption at the BJP National Executive Meet that concluded in the capital on Monday.

Highlighting that he himself has "no relatives" to benefit, the PM promised strict action against the corrupt.

Calling for a new era of public participation in governance to improve quality of life, Modi on Monday said the BJP must think and act beyond elections. "While traditional politics will go on, with the mandate that we have got, we are taking democracy beyond elections," he said while addressing his party's national executive in the capital on Monday. Political representatives must adhere to public participation, the PM said, stressing that the "country comes first, the party second."

Modi's comments at the closed-door meeting, attended by 13 chief ministers, six deputy chief ministers, over 60 union ministers besides party's MPs and MLAs among others, were shared with the media by senior party leader Arun Jaitley.

"When the opposition was in government, power was a means of enjoyment for it. Now they do not know how to behave as opposition," Modi told the meeting, according to Jaitley.

The prime minister also underlined his resolve to fight corruption, saying his "battle against it is uncompromising.

No one will be spared. I have no relatives".

Taking a dig at opposition parties, Modi said their use of harsh language cannot be a substitute for substantive charges against the government.

Opposition parties have been attacking the Modi government over demonetisation and cited the recent RBI figures to corner it.

The BJP, he said, has become central to people's hopes and ambitions as he asked party's leaders to become a link between people's problems and government.

Jaitley quoted the PM as also observing that there is no political organisation as active as the BJP in the country today.

The Prime Ministers' speech came at the end of a day-long meeting of about 2,500 members of the BJP at the capital's Talkatora stadium. PM Modi attended the entire event.

Thanked by BJP chief Amit Shah for his government's handling of the Doklam standoff with China, the Prime Minister said many people are surprised it was resolved peacefully. "We did it peacefully. Many people remain surprised how we did it," sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

Jaitley also shared the six-point agenda to rid the country of poverty, terrorism, casteism, communalism and corruption, which the party also adopted.