No blot in standing next to anyone: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he was not afraid of being seen with industrialists, who drive the country's development, in a stinging counter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's repeated allegations of crony capitalism.

"Why should we shame them, call them chor and luterey? My conscience is clear. Those who do wrong will have to leave the country or spend life in jail," the PM said. He was speaking at the launch of 81 investment projects worth Rs 60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Modi said UP was all set to be a $1 trillion economy.

About 80 industry captains attended the "mega ground-breaking" event in Lucknow, in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, ahead of next year's general elections.

UP's industries minister, Satish Mahana, said these projects in 24 districts of the state would create over two lakh jobs. "When your intentions are clear and you carry steely resolve, no blot comes on you by standing next to anyone. Gandhiji's intentions were so pure that he never hesitated in staying with the Birla family," he said. This was the PM's sixth visit to the state this month.

"Some people don't want to meet industrialists in public. They meet them behind curtains...there is no industrialist who has not done a 'shashwat pranaam' at their homes...We all know whose aircraft they travel in?" Modi said. "[MP] Amar Singh is sitting here and he can give you all the details," PM Modi said with a laughter. "Like farmers, bankers, government employees and labourers, industrialists also contribute to the development of the country," he said.

The PM slammed the Opposition parties, for what he called the "ills the country has been facing for 70 years".

The PM said those trying to find a case against him would be disappointed as more cases would come out against them. "I have ruled the country only for four years whereas they destroyed India for 70 years," the PM said.

Union Home Minister and Lucknow MP, Rajnath Singh, assured, on behalf of the Central government, additional security for the projects. "I can give you this assurance as the country's Home Minister," he said.

The industrialists who attended the meet included Subhash Chandra, chairman of Essel Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla group, Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani group, and Sanjeev Puri, MD, ITC. The event follows an 'Investors' Summit' in Lucknow in February.