New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday vowed to crack down on corruption and said he would stay on course till the job is done, as he launched a fightback after a series of scandals that have damaged his clean image.
"I wish to assure you and the country as a whole that our government is dead serious about bringing to book all the wrongdoers regardless of the position they might occupy," Singh told reporters during a live television broadcast.
He bluntly denied that he had ever considered stepping down after a series of setbacks.
"I have never felt like resigning because I have a job to do," he said.
"We have a lot of unfinished business to accomplish. I have never thought of giving up halfway and I will stay the course."
Manmohan Singh defended himself against accusations his government was a lameduck, saying it was trying to bring justice in some of the country's biggest corruption scandals in decades.
"Whatever some people may say, that we are a lame duck government, that I am a lame duck prime minister, we take our job very seriously," Singh said.
"We are here to govern, and to govern effectively. Tackle the problems as they arise and get this country moving forward." Allegations the government may have lost up to $39 billion in revenues after firms were awarded telecoms deals at rock-bottom prices in return for kickbacks have rocked the ruling coalition and compounded India's fragile investment climate.
The 78-year-old Singh has been under increasing pressure to stamp out on corruption and his decision-making appears to have been paralysed in his second term despite winning re-election with an increased majority.
The scandals have taken a heavy toll on Singh, concerned his legacy is transforming from one of being the founders of India's economic boom to someone who did nothing to stop corruption or policy paralysis.
Singh may have hoped the current scandals would ebb. But an aggressive media, an assertive Supreme Court and an opposition tasting political blood have seen momentum into the corruption probes grow.
Policymaking has also been in limbo since his re-election in 2009 as the government battles fires from inflation to graft scandals. Reforms like opening up retail and the financial sector to foreign investment have been put on the backburner.
Talking about the parliament deadlock, he said it had not been able to function for reasons he could not understand but honest efforts were being made to ensure that this would not happen in the next session.
The government appeared close to agreeing to a broad, cross-party investigation in the scandal, paving the way for parliament to resume as normal for a February 21 budget session.
"Parliament has not been allowed to function for reasons I am not being able to understand. We are making an honest effort to ensure that the next session will be an orderly session," he said in the media interaction held at his 7, Race Course Road official residence.
But there were few signs the parliamentary session would lead to any more reform bills.
Some commentators say there could be a repeat of 1989, when Congress lost a general election due to the Bofors scandal over gun contracts involving close associates of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who were accused of taking bribes.
Thanking the media for its role in brining these shady dales out to light, the PM said the media had played a ‘very important role in drawing the country's attention’ to issues requiring corrective action.
"The media have drawn the country's attention to some aberrations in allocation of 2G spectrum, the Commonwealth Games and more recently some developments in the space organisation and Adarsh society affairs," he said.
The prime minister reassured the nation that the inflation would come down to around seven per cent by year-end. "Inflation and food inflation in particular has been a problem. But by year-end, inflation rate should come down to no more than seven per cent.”
He said the government wanted to ensure that the growth process is ‘not disturbed’. It is trying to deal with inflation at a time ‘when we don't have all the instruments at our command’.
"We have to deal with inflation despite an adverse international environment," he said.