Asserting that action against the corrupt won’t stop at any cost, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he was proud of the steps being taken to protect the country from corruption.

Kicking off his campaign for the Lok Sabha polls from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister said, “This election (the Lok Sabha polls) is a fight between two camps. One camp is in the field to remove corruption and the other is in the field to save the corrupt.”

Addressing an NDA rally here in the presence of RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary and other NDA constituent partners, Modi asserted that there would be no break in the action being taken against politicians involved in corruption.

He slammed the Opposition coalition, the INDIA bloc, saying, “We started the fight against corruption. They formed the INDI bloc thinking Modi would feel intimidated. But India is my family, and I have nothing to fear.”

The prime minister vowed to take action against those who were indulged in corruption, adding that those who have ‘looted the nation will have to return it’.

“On one side, you have the NDA, committed to eradicating corruption. On the other, you have the INDI Alliance, focused on protecting corrupt leaders. No matter how many attacks you make on Modi, I won’t stop fighting against corruption. No matter how big the corrupt person is, action will definitely be taken. The one who has looted the country will have to give it back. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.

“Now, those who have been indulged in corruption are behind bars. They don’t get relief even in the Supreme Court,” the Prime Minister added.

The PM said: “I am not only taking action against the corrupt, I am also returning the money of those whose money has been looted by these corrupt and dishonest people. Together, these people have formed an INDIA bloc.”

Denouncing the INDIA bloc rally in Delhi, Modi made it clear: “They (Opposition leaders) think Modi would be scared of this but for me, my entire India is my family. I am proud of the steps being taken to protect our country from corruption. I will fight against them. That is why big and corrupt people are behind bars today.”

“Bail is not being granted even by the Supreme Court and that is why many big corrupt people have to make a beeline at the courts and the whole country must have seen on their TV that at some places, piles of notes are coming out from under the bed, at some places there are pieces of notes from the walls. You must have saw piles of notes in the washing machine,” he claimed.

He said when India reaches number three in the world, poverty will definitely go away in the country. Together, a powerful country will be created.

He said today India is doing unprecedented work on infrastructure. Today new opportunities are being created in the country and today the women’s power of the country is creating new dimensions.

PM Modi said efforts were on to make three crore women Lakhpati Didi. “Namo Drone Didi Yojana is also going to change the fate of the sisters in the villages. In this, modern drones are being given to women’s self-help groups. These drones are going to change the future of our farming and make farming work easier. When village daughters become drone pilots, their pride will increase, their earnings will also increase and farming will also become easier,” he said.

The PM said reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies also seemed possible through the Nari Shakti Abhinandan Act.

“It is our government that has provided permanent houses to four crore poor people and has protected the dignity of women by building more than 11 crore toilets. It is our government that has removed darkness from the lives of more than 2.5 crore houses by providing electricity connections to them. 2.5 crore sisters have been providing facilities, security, and respect for mothers, sisters, and daughters in the country for the last 10 years,” he claimed.

Stressing that the coming five years are going to be of the prosperity of women power in the country, PM Modi said: “Crores of sisters and daughters have been made entrepreneurs for the first time in the country. Be it police or paramilitary force, today the number of women has increased by more than two times.”

“Mudra Yojana has made crores of sisters entrepreneurs for the first time and given them the strength to start their own business. In the last 10 years, 10 crore women have joined self-help groups,” he said.

“It seemed impossible that Article 370 would ever be removed from Jammu and Kashmir, but Article 370 also goes away and Jammu and Kashmir is also developing rapidly, that is why today people are also blessing BJP’s 370 seats,” he said.

He said people once thought it difficult to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. But Ram temple was built and this time Ram Lala also played Holi a lot in Awadh.

PM Modi said: “I had told from the Red Fort that India’s time has come, India has started moving, today modern infrastructure is being built rapidly in India, today India is making an unprecedented investment in the construction of infrastructure. Today, countless new opportunities are being created for the youth, and women of the country in every sector are coming forward with new resolutions. Today India’s credibility is at a new height across the world.”

PM Modi started his speech by remembering Chaudhary Charan Singh from the stage. He talked about his special relationship with Meerut. Last time too, I had the privilege of starting the rally from the same land of Aughadnath.

Earlier, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said PM Modi has shown us a new India. “It is our good fortune that he has chosen the land of Meerut for the election campaign. He has given so many gifts to Meerut. Be it rapid rail or road connectivity. Be it sports university, or ODOP, Unprecedented work has been done in every direction,” he added.

CM Yogi said this election is an election of family first versus nation first. He said Modi’s guarantee means guaranteeing housing, ration, and employment to crores of poor. He keeps doing whatever he says. Modi does not just weave dreams because of what he has done. Modi weaves reality which is why people choose Modi again and again.

Yogi said only yesterday the farmers were honoured by giving Bharat Ratna honor to Chaudhary Charan Singh. The entire country expresses gratitude for this. He greeted all the leaders present on the stage.