Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday slammed Rahul Gandhi over his “market of hate” remarks, saying the Congress leader’s so-called “shop of love” was not needed.
Addressing a “Gauravshali Bharat” rally on the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, he said the country’s stature rose under the leadership of the prime minister.
The minister said several schemes which could never be imagined earlier were introduced by the PM.
“But what is happening with our Congress people? Their one leader and that ‘neta ji’, wherever he goes he says there is a ‘nafrat ka bazaar’ (market of hate) and he has come to open a ‘mohabbat ki dukan’ (shop of love).” Singh did not name Gandhi but was taking a dig at the opposition leader over the phrase often used by him.
Particularly during his “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, Gandhi had accused the ruling BJP of spreading hatred. He said he wanted to open a “shop of love” in the “market of hatred”.
“I want to ask you if there is any ‘nafrat ka bazaar’ in Haryana,” Singh said at the rally, adding there is no place for the Congress leader’s “mohabbat ki dukan”.
“Where is the hate,” he asked.
The minister said when India addressed international forums earlier people didn’t take it seriously as they considered it a “weak” country and the land of the poor. “Today when India speaks anything on international platforms, people listen.” He referred indirectly to the surgical strike in 2016 and the Balakot airstrike in 2019 against Pakistan, saying India gave a message to the world that it is no longer a “weak” country and can hit across the border if needed.
He said the country is now becoming self-reliant in defence manufacturing, making tanks, missiles and other ammunition.
Its defence exports have risen to Rs 16,000 crore from Rs 900 crore before 2014, and the country is looking at Rs 40,000 crore in the next two years, he said.
Singh asked whether the prime minister considered the caste or religion of the beneficiaries when toilets are built for them. “Has there been any discrimination against anyone?” he said.
He made a similar point about the distribution of money to farmers under the Kisan Samman Nidhi.
“They are uttering nonsense out of frustration, to unnecessarily mislead people,” he said, attacking the Congress.
Singh said nobody can level any corruption charge against the Modi government. He alleged that several scams took place during the term of the previous governments, and ministers went to jail.
The BJP leader recalled that Morgan Stanley once placed Indian economy in the ‘Fragile Five’ category, but it now says there is a possibility that the country could be among the top three by 2027.
He praised the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana and said there is complete transparency in giving jobs to the youth.
He asked people at the rally if they had spent “a single paisa” for getting a job.
“This is the big difference between other governments and this government. If corruption comes to our notice, we cannot forgive it at any cost. It is our biggest asset,” he said.
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