Political class is under scrutiny 24 hours: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said political class was now under the constant scrutiny of media and various other institutions as he advocated for an "inbuilt mechanism" for judiciary to monitor itself.

"The news which earlier did not find a place even in a gossip column has now become breaking news. I belong to the community (of politicians), which is under scrutiny for 24 hours," the Prime Minister said addressing a conference of High Court Chief Justices and Chief Ministers here.

He said we (politicians) have to answer to people after every five years.

"The community (of politicians) from which we come has got a lot of bad name. Even being in that community, we have imposed checks on us," he said listing Election Commission, RTI and Lokpal as institutions that keep an eye on the political class.

"How much good a person may be. If the institutional network is not good, there is a possibility of degradation. Parents keep money under lock and key in homes. They do not do it to prevent thieves. Thieves can take away the box itself. They do it so that the habits of children are not spoilt. This is necessary for us also," the Prime Minister said.