"Many people say I had not taken account the consequences of this huge step. In fact, the only thing that I could not take into account was the brazenness with which many political parties and leaders will come to the rescue of the corrupt. But I am happy that this drive aimed at eliminating 'kala dhan' has exposed so many 'kale mann'," Modi said.
Charging the opposition parties, who have been attacking the government over demonetization, with "brazenly standing in support of the corrupt and the dishonest", Modi compared their stalling of parliamentary proceedings during the latest session to "firing at the borders by Pakistan in a bid to provide cover to infiltrators".
He also hit back at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and P Chidambaram, saying their argument that promoting cashless economy was futile due to poverty, illiteracy and electricity not reaching villages in the country "exposes" their own report card.
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Taking on former Finance Minister Chidambaram over his assertion that online transactions could not find wide acceptance in India since nearly half of its villages were not even electrified, Modi said "whose faults is he pointing at. Did I uproot electric poles or snap cables in villages which had electricity".
"He never thinks before he speaks and he may not have realized that he has admitted the failure of the long reign of his own party."
Calling himself "Kashi ka bachcha" (a child of Kashi), Modi said, "I am, nonetheless, delighted to see that the power of this holy land has made me work and forced detractors to admit, even if unwittingly, their failures".
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