Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday referred to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's words to attack the Congress over corruption. 

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Rajiv Gandhi, who was India's Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, had once famously said that only 15 paise of a rupee sent by the Centre reaches people.

Addressing the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Varanasi, Modi said while past Congress governments did nothing to stop the leakage, his government has been 100% successful in ending this loot of 85%. 

"Many of you may have heard a former Prime Minister's words on corruption. He (Rajiv Gandhi) had said that only 15% of the money sent by the Centre reaches to people. He had accepted the reality of the system in the country which was ruled by his party for so many years," Modi said. 

"This is unfortunate that even 10-15 years after him, this leakage was not stopped. While the middle class kept paying taxes, the party which was in power for so many years kept ignoring this 85% loot. We have used technology to 100% end this loot of 85%," the Prime Minister added. 

"In past 4.5 years, our government has given around Rs 5.78 lakh crore directly to people through different schemes. We have transferred it to their bank accounts," Modi claimed. 

Citing creation of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Modi said that India is now in a position to lead the world on several platforms. 

"Today, India is in the position to lead the world in several subjects. International Solar Alliance (ISA) is one such platform. Through this medium, we want to take the world towards ‘One World, One Sun, One Grid’."

The Prime Minister addressed the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Tuesday in this temple town.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Monday, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and said the Indian diaspora has dramatically changed the world's perception of Indians and India.

Varanasi in Modi's parliamentary constituency.

The decision to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was taken by the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the first event was celebrated on January 9, 2003.

January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi had returned to India from South Africa.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is now celebrated once in every two years and provides a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and reconnect with their roots. 

(With PTI inputs)