Indian prime minister pledges to wipe out graft from country

NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi urges people to help him build a prosperous and united India, promising to wipe out corruption and usher in good governance.

In an hourlong speech Tuesday to mark the anniversary of India's independence from British rule, Modi pledged to bring in transparency to end decades of graft.

"We may have grown up in despair, but now we have to move ahead with confidence," he said as he addressed the nation from the Red Fort, a sprawling 17th century fortress in the heart of New Delhi.

Modi hailed his government efforts in recent months, including the surprise withdrawal of large currency notes and an overhaul of taxes on goods and services that he said had brought billions of dollars of unaccounted money into the mainstream economy.