LUCKNOW: Keeping the pitch over law and order high in his election discourse, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh toed the party line on Saturday while seeking votes for BJP candidates in Mathura in western Uttar Pradesh where voting will be held in the first phase of the assembly elections on February 10.
Patting the back of UP CM Yogi Adityanath for being able to bring about a palpable change in the law and order scenario in the poll-bound state, the defence minister said that the criminals were running away and the properties grabbed by the mafia were being freed smashing the crime syndicates.
“UP is on the path of progress. Expressways are coming up, roads are being built to connect tehsils and block headquarters,” Singh said. He was campaigning for BJP candidate Pooran Prakash Jatav in Baldev assembly constituency in Mathura.
Launching a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with reference to his recent speech in Parliament during the debate on the Union Budget, Singh raised the Galwan clashes issue, accusing Rahul Gandhi of not trusting the valour of Indian soldiers and relying more on the Chinese media instead.
“We have given a message to the world that India is not a weak nation now,” the defence minister said about the June 2020 skirmish in the eastern Ladakh sector.
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that many Indian jawans were killed in Galwan and a few of China. He trusted the Chinese media. The Australian media reported that 38 to 50 Chinese were killed. The Congress leader does not trust the valour of our army jawans,” he added.
Singh added that as the defence minister, he was of firm belief that no one could attack the pride of India.
He then trained his guns on the Samajwadi Party (SP) condemning its policy of appeasement politics. “Politics is for making the society and nation and not only for making the government. Politics should be of justice and growth. We believe in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam. The BJP not going to accept politics based on division,” asserted Rajnath Singh.
Invoking party ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerji with reference to the intent of BJP and its parent organisation for abrogation of Article 370 from J&K, Rajnath claimed that had other parties complied with the promises made by leaders like Mookerji, the country would have been different today.
“Shyama Prasad Mookherji in the 1951 election mentioned in the manifesto of Jan Sangh to end Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir but we could not get a majority in Parliament. Once we got the majority, we abolished Article 370,” said Singh.
Urging voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the BJP, Singh said, “Vote for the BJP candidate if you want to have a new Uttar Pradesh, and a new Bharat.”
The BJP had won four of five assembly constituencies – Chhhata, Govardhan, Mathura and Baldev-- in Mathura district in the previous 2017 elections. Mant was the only seat in the district won by the BSP.
The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases - on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.