Bhadrak: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who was here Sunday castigated Pakistan for “engineering Pulwama terror attack” in Jammu and Kashmir which massacred lives of over 40 CRPF personnel.
Singh claimed the neighbouring country harboured the terrorists who have become restless in the wake of the successful operations by Indian troops in the past five years.
“Pakistan, which has been patronising terrorism, realised that frustration and desperation had grown among the militants due to successful operations against them by Indian security forces in the recent times,’’ Singh said at a public meeting on the outskirts of this town.
Asserting that the security forces have been given a free hand to give a “befitting reply” to the attack, the Union Minister said the sacrifices made by the CRPF jawans would not go in vain.
Asserting that all political parties have pledged full support to the government and the defence forces, Singh said the nation stands behind the Army, who would certainly “teach the enemy a lesson”.
The Union Home Minister also visited Eram, 50-km from here, where he offered floral tributes, along with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other BJP leaders, at the martyrs’ column built in memory of those who were gunned down in 1942 by the Britishers. Singh also recollected the sacrifices of the CRPF soldiers in the recent Pulwama terror attack and said their sacrifice would not go in vain.
“The supreme sacrifice of the jawans (in Pulwama) will not go in vain,” he told reporters. Much like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, 29 people were killed in Eram, a remote village in Bharak district, where the police opened fire at a crowd that had gathered to protest the British regime.
Singh also offered prayers at Bhadra Kali temple here before heading for the public rally at Ranital, on the outskirts of Bhadrak town.
Addressing apublic rally on the outskirts of the town, Rajnath said Modi will continue to serve as prime minister after the Lok Sabha polls for his “honesty, integrity and performance”.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s oft-repeated jibe of “chowkidar chor hai” (the watchman is the thief) made in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal, Singh said, “No one can raise questions on the intention and integrity of the prime minister.”
Hitting out at Gandhi, the home minister said the Congress chief can comment on the performance of the incumbent government, but he should refrain from levelling unfounded allegations.
“He (Modi) is sure to be prime minister again, he is the cure to all problems,” Singh said.
All political parties and leaders should maintain the dignity of the chair of prime minister and president, he said, adding “you (Gandhi) have no concern… you speak whatever comes to your mind.”
Accusing the Congress of misleading people on the Rafale deal issue, Singh said it is unfair to level corruption charges against the prime minister as he has no one for whom he would require money.
“Who will Modiji grab money for? He has no family,” the BJP leader said.
Hailing the prime minister’s leadership, the home minister said India has made rapid strides since Modi became the PM and the country is poised to be among the top three nations in the world by 2030.
Mounting a scathing
attack on the BJD government in Odisha, he said even though the state has a stable government for the past 19 years, it has made no development.
“I am unable to understand as to why Odisha has failed to progress despite having a stable government,” he said, adding that states ruled by BJP have witnessed rapid growth. Slamming the Odisha government for rejecting the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, Singh said the development of the state will be possible only if BJP is voted to power.
“Odisha will see rapid progress if BJP forms government both at the Centre and in the state,” he said and assured the farmers that they will get remunerative prices for their produce if the saffron party forms government.
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