Defence minister Rajnath Singh on July 1 warned India's “neighbour” that if anyone tried to harm the country, a befitting reply will be given.
Speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-affected Kanker district, he also claimed that the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) would have been wiped out from the country had the Congress government in Chhattisgarh "cooperated fully." He also alleged that forced religious conversions were on rise in the State.
The public meeting at the Narhardev High School ground was held to highlight the achievements of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre in the last nine years.
Referring to India's response after terrorist attacks in Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019), Mr. Singh said India has emerged as a powerful country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and it is not weak anymore.
“Some terrorists from Pakistan intruded into India and attacked our jawans leaving many of them martyred….I was home minister then....Prime Minister held a meeting in Delhi and made a decision within ten minutes. Our army jawans successfully neutralized terrorists on Pakistan's land,” he said.
“I want to tell my neighbour that do not try to mess with India and do not try to provoke us. We will not only kill from this side, if required we can enter and kill on that side (across the border) too. Now India has changed,'” Mr. Singh added.
“Chhattisgarh has been struggling with the menace of Left Wing Extremism for a long time. Due to effective action under the leadership of PM Modi in nine years, its influence declined. Left Wing Extremism has now been restricted to only 10-12 districts. Some of these districts are in Chhattisgarh. I can claim the LWE would have been wiped out of the country had the Congress government fully cooperated,” Mr. Singh said.
Further targeting the Bhupesh Baghel government, the defence minister alleged that incidents of religious conversion were on rise in Chhattisgarh, particularly in tribal-dominated Bastar region, and said it was not acceptable.
The Congress government should take measures to stop forced religious conversions, he said, adding that the Centre will extend support to the state in the matter if necessary.
Highlighting the Modi government's pro-tribals measures, he said it created a separate budget of ` 90,000 crore for the welfare of tribals and declared November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
Talking further about tribal welfare in a state where elections are due by year-end, the senior BJP leader said, “The tribal society had played an active role in driving out Britishers from the country. If we talk about the role of tribal communities in building the country, some people feel strange. It means the country was not told about the contribution of the tribal community and even if it was, very little was told about them. After independence, those who ruled the country for many years gave priority to themselves and their politics. Congress forgot the tribal community and neglected them." Now, houses, toilets and roads are being constructed in tribal-dominated areas, electricity lines are being put up and free health facilities and schools are being provided, Mr. Singh added.
Prime minister Modi has the same commitment to the welfare of Dalits, tribals and backward classes as former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.
Mr. Singh also slammed the Baghel government over corruption, claiming, “ in five years of Congress rule, scams took place in multiple sectors." He mentioned the `Gauthan' land scam, ration scam, liquor scam and coal scam in the state, adding that the last one was the Congress's favourite as there was a coal scam when the party was in power at the Centre too.
"Wherever they go, they commit coal scam," he said.
On the elevation of T S Singh Deo as Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Singh said, “ They have appointed a deputy CM for three month. Baghel ji, you will not be able to save your government by distributing lollipops. The people have decided to vote out the Congress.” While the Congress-led UPA rule was ridden by scams, no one can level a single allegation of corruption against the Modi government, he said.
"We do not tolerate corruption. If a corruption charge is leveled against any of our ministers, his or her place will be in jail," the Union minister added.
"We fulfilled our promises to scrap Article 370 operating in Jammu and Kashmir and build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. No other place of worship in the world will be as magnificent as the Ram Mandir being constructed in Ayodhya. People can visit it after January 24 next year," he said.
Mr. Singh also hailed Padma Shri recipient Ajay Mandavi, known for teaching wood calligraphy to jail inmates including those arrested in Naxal-related cases in Kanker and encouraging them to return to the mainstream.
Before the rally, Singh visited Mandavi at his house in Kanker as a part of the BJP's Mahajansampark Abhiyan (public outreach campaign).
