Stop shaming India abroad, Shiv Se tells PM

Mumbai, June 8: The Shiv Se on Wednesday asked Prime Minister rendra Modi "to stop maligning India on foreign shores" with his public utterances on corruption in the country.

The Se took strong objection to Modi's repeated statements criticizing the corrupt systems in India during his foreign trips, saying this would prove counter-productive in the long run.

"The PM said publicly in Doha how India was steeped in graft, and outlined the measures he had initiated to clean up the mess. The gathering clapped and cheered him. This is nothing but maligning the country's fair image abroad," the Se said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saama. It wondered who was responsible if there was talk of corruption among the masses even two years after a Bharatiya Jata Party-led government took charge of the country.

"The (corruption) matters coming up in (BJP-ruled) Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh - can the Gandhi family be still blamed for it?" it asked.

"The PM knows better. He's the country's face and the world has faith in him. But the world may also misinterpret his statements abroad and this could directly hit our economy," the Se cautioned.

Chiding Modi, it advised him to criticize corruption and other ills plaguing India domestically and tackle them effectively. "Enough has been spoken about the alleged corruption of Gandhi family and Robert Vadra. Now, its time for action against them. No need to travel to Europe and America shouting about it," the editorial said. "As a tion we are all united, and despite our political differences, we are like a big 'undivided family' and this is the image which should be presented before the whole world."

Touching on Modi's recent trip to Switzerland, it chided Modi's request seeking the mes of Indians holding black money in that country's banks. This, Saama said, was "ruining India's image abroad".

"The Swiss economy thrives on stash monies from all over the world and they will never reveal whose black money is lying there.

"Modi had assured Rs.15 lakh to each Indian by bringing back the hidden money in foreign banks. But all this must be done very discreetly," the Se said.

Anyway, it pointed out that there was enough black money within India. "So what is being done about it?"

The Se said India must be the only country in the world where it's a sin to eat beef, mutton, chicken, eggs, fish, garlic and onions but it is no crime if public money is stolen. (IANS)