Note ban could've been avoided had 'sins' of benami properties not happened: PM

Pune: In a veiled attack on Congress for opposing demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the "sins" of benami properties would not have happened and people would not be standing in queues now had necessary decisions been taken in the past.

"In 1988, Parliament passed Benami Property Act but it never got notified and implemented. The papers had got lost somewhere in a stack of files. It was me who re-opened it.  Sins of benami properties would not have happened had the law been implemented," he said after the inauguration of Pune metro.

"Should I let the situation be as it is or should I change it? Should the wrongdoings be undone or not? If decisions were taken years ago, I would not have had to make people stand in queues. I have taken this step because I made a promise to save the country," the Prime Minister said.

Modi warned those possessing black money to come clean now or they will stand no chance to save themselves.

"Some people thought all governments are the same and this government of mine will be no different. They thought they can put their black money in banks and convert it into white. Money did not become white but their faces turned black," he said.

"There is still time where laws can help you. Come on the right path and sleep peacefully. If not, I will not sleep. I have started this war against corruption, black money, terrorism, naxalism with a lot of 'jigar' (heart)," he said.

The Prime Minister said that due to the demonetisation decision, income of urban bodies have increased by 200-300 per cent and people, who were used to breaking rules at one point of time are now made to stand in queues.

Modi said that urbanisation is taking place at a fast pace today and stressed on generating employment and improving the quality of life in villages to stop migration to cities.

"Only then will the run from villages to cities will slow down. If we think in pieces and for immediate political gains, we can never overcome problems," he said.

The PM said the Centre has started with a 'Rurban' mission which focusses on ensuring that that villages close to cities have the soul of a village and facilities of a city.

"Our Digital India campaign is not just meant for cities but for rural areas as well. We have decided to launch metro projects in more than 50 cities. Had we done so in bits and pieces, projects would have become costlier, more problems would have arisen and the projects would have had lagged even after we putting in money," he said.

Modi said benchmarks of development need to become modernise and transform with changing times.

"Infrastructure is not just roads, rail and air transport but also highways and I-ways (information ways), for which we need an optical fibre network. We need to work on water grid, digital network, gas grid and space technology," he said.

Modi said Pune Metro should have been visualised and implemented much earlier. "Previous governments have left a lot of work for me to do," Modi said.

Addressing a gathering in Pune after laying the foundation stone for metro, Modi said the value of "small people" in the country has increased the way the value of Rs 100 bill has gone up after demonetisation.

"After the decision, the way the value of Rs 100 increased overnight. Similarly, the value and power of small people in the country has also increased," he said.

Modi said that after the 50-day period, the hardships of honest people will decrease and the problems of the dishonest would go up.

The Prime Minister while announcing the demonetisation decision on November 8 had said there would some inconvenience to people for the initial 50-day period, till December 30.

"The decision has been taken after a lot of thought and I am sure that I will be successful," he said, adding people with bad intentions and dishonest bank officials are going to jail.

The PM appealed to people to shift to cashless transactions and use multiple online options such as online banking, debit cards and e-wallets.

He said the "war" against corruption and black money is the fight of 125 crore people "which would not stop and that a handful of people would not able to suppress their voice".

Modi asked the audience to switch on the flashlights of their mobile phones and wave them if they "sided with the government and approved of its decisions".

Meanwhile, Congress' city unit staged a protest on the route from where the PM's convoy was to pass through, but police detained at least 100 party workers.

"We were protesting on the route. Much before the arrival of the convoy, police detained us and even resorted to mild lathi charge," claimed senior Congress leader Abhay Chhajed.

He said the Congress workers were taken to Khadaki police station and later released.

On the Pune Metro project, Modi said for 15 years, the development of Maharashtra has suffered.

"During the election to the state Assembly, I had told you that a double engine can bring Maharashtra up. Now see, due to these two engines (state government and Central government), metro project of the city has been approved," he said.