Impressed with PM Modi's 'zero tolerance' for corruption: S.M. Krishna

Former Karnataka chief minister and Congress veteran S.M. Krishna, who yesterday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive.

Showering praise on Prime Minister Modi, Krishna told ANI in an exclusive conversation that the former has zero tolerance towards corruption which is impressive.

"Prime Minister Modi has zero tolerance towards corruption and I was impressed with this. I also supported the demonetisation move," Krishna said.

The former union minister blamed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his exit from the grand old party, stating that one should be serious if one has to re-build the party from grass-root level to the paramount level.

"I have been watching from the past two and a half years that the leader of the Congress, excluding Sonia Gandhi, is least concerned about the party. There is no seriousness at all. If one has to re-build the party from grass-root level to the paramount level, one should be serious." Krishna said.

After joining the BJP yesterday, Krishna stated that he would like to rededicate himself to the cause of the nation under the saffron party's banner.

84-year-old Krishna had announced his resignation from the Congress on January 29, saying the party was in a "state of confusion" on whether it needed mass leaders or not.

Krishna, who was the chief minister Karnataka from 1999 to 2004, had returned to state politics after stepping down as then External Affairs Minister in 2012.

A trusted aide of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, Krishna is credited with setting up Bengaluru as the nation's IT hub.

He has also served as the Governor of Maharashtra.