Opposition’s INDIA will fail like BJP’s ‘India shining’ slogan, says Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that the name of the newly forged opposition alliance, INDIA, could prove fatal to them like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ‘India shining’ slogan, coined ahead of the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

“They have named themselves INDIA. I would like to tell them that this name is dangerous. We too once gave the slogan of ‘Shining India’ and we lost. Now you have named yourself INDIA, and your defeat is certain,” Singh said, addressing a BJP rally at Runicha Dham in poll-bound Rajasthan.

He also said that INDIA alliance was formed not on any development plank but just to keep Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of power.

Singh also asked the INDIA leaders to apologise to the people for its leaders’ “insulting” statements on Sanatan Dharma.

Referring to the controversy over Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu sports minister Udhaynidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatan Dharma, Singh said, “Their ally DMK has insulted Sanatan Dharma and Congress is sitting quiet. I would like to ask why don’t (Rajasthan chief minister Ashok) Gehlot, Sonia, Rahul (Gandhi), and (Congress president (Mallikarjun) Kharge speak and clarify their thoughts on Sanatan Dharma.”

“Sanatan Dharma is eternal. Sanatan Dharma is the only one that gives a message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). I want to tell the INDIA alliance that they should seek forgiveness or the country will not forgive them,” he added.

Singh also hit out at the Gehlot government saying that it has totally failed.

“The situation of the government in Rajasthan is such that Gehlot is sitting on the driver’s seat but someone else is pressing the clutch and someone else is pressing the accelerator. What is happening in Rajasthan? Here support of the people is being sought by them on lines of Hindu-Muslim and lower caste-upper caste,” he said.

He added, “They are unable to gather the courage to seek votes on the development plank, so they are trying to get support of the people on the basis of Hindu-Muslim, lower caste-upper caste.”

Taking a dig at the “freebies” announced by Gehlot recently, Singh said, “They are now giving many guarantees. In other states, like Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka too, they promised such guarantees to the people. But people should not trust them. What were you doing for five years? If you had worked for five years, then people of Rajasthan would have rusted you.”

He also targeted the Congress government over the law and order situation in the state. “People told me some shocking instances. In 56 months, 10 lakh crime cases have been registered and, of this, 7,650 cases are of murders of innocent people. No other state has such a situation. There have been 2 lakh cases and of these 31,000 are of rape. How can the proud people of Rajasthan tolerate this,” he said.

Singh said people have decided what is to be done in the elections and no power can stop the BJP form forming its government in Rajasthan.

He said Rajasthan is known as a desert, but it is also the land of valour, of sacrifice and of nuclear tests. He said five nuclear tests had taken place in the western region of Rajasthan and the 1971 Longewala battle also took place here, which India won. He said the nuclear test in 1998 also took place here after which India was acknowledged as a nuclear power in the world.

He said India is proud of its scientists and defence forces. He praised the scientists for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon and the Aditya L-1 mission to the Sun.

Singh said the opposition raised questions after Chandrayaan-2 failed and the Congress also tried in muted voices to raise questions over the Aditya L-1 mission but he added that sensing the mood of the nation, the Congress keeps quiet.

“Mangalyaan, Chandrayaan and Suryayaan have been successfully launched and also successfully landed but ‘Rahulyaan’ has neither been launched nor landed for the past 20 years,” Singh said, taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi.

He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as a powerful nation. “Earlier, India was not taken seriously. But today, when India speaks on international platforms, the entire world listens to India.”

Singh said under Modi, the economy has strengthened and India has become the 5th largest economy in the world. “Big financial firms are saying that by 2027 India will be among the top three economies in the world.”

Singh pointed out that under Modi, infrastructure has strengthened and roads, broadband connectivity, electricity, tapped water, cooking gas connections et. are being provided to people.

“Our government has continually tried to empower the aam admi. The Niti aayog has said under Modi govt, 13.5 crore people have been lifted out of poverty. During earlier governments, garib kalyan was a slogan but for us, it is a mantra, a mission and that is why poverty is being reduced,” he said.

Singh launched the BJP’s third Parivartan Sankalp yatra from Ramdevra in Jaisalmer. Arrived at Runicha Dham around 11.30am, he offered prayers at the Ramdevra temple for about 20 minutes, before heading to the venue of the public meeting.

BJP Rajasthan in-charge Arun Singh, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, state BJP president CP Joshi and deputy leader of Opposition Satish Poonia were present in the meeting.

The BJP’s first Parivartan Sankalp yatra was launched by party president JP Nadda from the Trinetra Ganeshji temple in Sawai Madhopur on September 2. The second was flagged off by Union home minister Amit Shah from Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur district on September 3. Union minister Nitin Gadkari will launch the fourth and final yatra from Gogamedi in Hanumangarh district on September 5.