Modi’s ‘client or country’ jibe infuriates chartered accountants

In a Madison Square Garden-scale event held in the National Capital on July 1, organised by the Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s lecture on “honesty” did not go down well with its members. In the backdrop of GST roll out, his preaching to choose between “client” or “country” touched the raw nerves of the chartered accountants (CAs). They have sought explanation from ICAI about the same.

Many of them spoke to National Herald on the strict basis of anonymity. They said that the Prime Minister has not only transgressed all decorums but has also defamed one of the top institutions of India, by calling it an institute of Beimans (dishonest people).

On July 1, the day of the GST rollout, PM Modi addressed a gathering of thousands of people at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Modi, in his speech, asked CAs to choose between clients and country.

“Who did you work after demonetisation? Client or country? There must be someone who must have helped these (fraud) companies; some economic doctors (CAs) must have helped them,” said the PM.

“His comments have angered the whole community. The programme was conceptualised by ICAI in which CAs were supposed to take part but they were eventually not given permission to do so,” complained a miffed CA. Some members of ICAI shouted slogans in protest.

According to unconfirmed estimates, ICAI spent more than Rs 10 crore on the Modi event. More than Rs 3 crore was apparently spent on design of the set only. Bollywood art director Nitin Desai, who designed the stage for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s swearing-in ceremony, is said to have designed the set for the ICAI event. However, National Herald can’t confirm these details.

Another ICAI member said, “Those who attended the PM’s event were BJP members. Those who were shouting ‘Modi Modi’ inside the stadium were his supporters.”

Sources told NH that over 3000 VVIP passes were distributed for the event but most of them were given to the BJP’s supporters. A chartered accountant who travelled from Uttam Nagar to Indira Gandhi Stadium to attend the event said he was manhandled along with others.

“Before demonetisation, Modi said all traders and industrialists are black marketers; now after GST he is saying all CAs are involved in the task of hiding black money. If everyone, except him or his party men, are corrupt or dishonest, then why does he invite foreign companies to invest in India? Why would a foreign company invest in a corrupt/dishonest country,” he questioned.

Another infuriated CA fumed, “I would like to ask Mr Modi: Will he dare to bring out a white paper on the election expenses of his party? Will he dare to tell the nation where does BJP get hundreds of crores to spend in elections? Will he tell us who comes first for him? His corporate clients or the country?”

Hitting out at the PM for his theatrics, another member of ICAI said that it was the height of shamelessness. “PM was invited as chief guest on the ICAI foundation day. It was our programme that coincided with GST rollout. We paid for it but were not allowed to get in. Initially, it was conveyed that Gate no: 4 was reserved for the entry of ICAI members but when we reached, we found it closed,” he said.

A section of the ICAI council members believes that Rajesh Sharma, who is known for his closeness to Delhi BJP leaders, is responsible for the mess. Rajesh Sharma, who himself is a CA and a member of the council, was given responsibility to manage the event.

“Rajesh Sharma kept us in the dark and got BJP members in,” alleged a member of the ICAI council on the condition of anonymity.

Many ICAI members have submitted a memorandum to ICAI president Nilesh Vikamsey and demanded an explanation for the points mentioned above. National Herald tried to contact Nilesh Vikamsey over the phone and via SMS. But he did not pick the calls. Rajesh Sharma did not pick his call but responded to the SMS, asking for the sender’s identity. After the reporter revealed the same, he never wrote back again.