Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday appeared to take aim at US President Donald Trump over the steep tariff threats to India, saying that some people , whom he described as the “sabke boss,” are unable to accept the pace of India’s rise as a global power.
Singh said there were some people who were unhappy with the pace of India’s development and could not accept how quickly the country was progressing. According to him, these quarters believed they were “the boss of all” and questioned how India was growing at such a fast rate.
He added that many were trying to ensure products made in India became more expensive than those made elsewhere, so that rising prices would deter global buyers. “This effort is underway,” he said, asserting with full confidence that no power in the world could now stop India from becoming a major global power," Singh said in his address after performing bhoomi pujan of a rail coach manufacturing unit of the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district.
Trump recently imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports, along with an additional 25% penalty, in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The US President also warned of further tariff hikes, demanded that India halt its dealings with Russia, dismissed India’s economy as “dead,” and faced accusations from his close aides that New Delhi was financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Singh said the current situation had not impacted India’s defence exports, which were continuing to grow. He noted that the country was now exporting defence items worth more than Rs 24,000 crore, describing it as a testament to the strength of India’s defence sector and the capabilities of “the new India.” He said exports were steadily rising year after year.
Singh said when Narendra Modi became the prime minister in 2014, only Rs 600 crore worth of Indian defence products were exported to other countries.
''Today, if any country has a dashing and dynamic economy, it is India's economy,'' he asserted.
In 2014, India was at the 11th position in terms of the economy. Today, India is counted among the top four countries of the world (in terms of economy), Singh said.
"If any country has a rapidly growing economy, it is our India," he added.
"It means that the country is moving forward and its people are also moving ahead, because if the countrymen do not move forward, India cannot move forward," he said.
Singh said that earlier, things related to defence production were made in the world, by foreigners, and India used to buy from them.
"But today, many of these things are not only being made on the Indian soil, not only by the hands of Indians, and we are not only fulfilling our needs but we are also exporting to other countries of the world. Countries of the world are buying our goods," he said.
Singh also mentioned about the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 persons were killed in April, and said India gave a befitting reply to Pakistan, referring to the Indian military's Operation Sindoor.
"People were killed (by terrorists) after being asked to identify their religion. We cannot kill people after asking their religion. We do not believe in murder. We do not even kill ants. We have resolved that we will kill people (terrorists) not by looking at their religion, but by looking at their deeds," he said.
Singh said that India's clear stand is that "we will not spare anyone who instigates us."
Referring to the rail coach unit, the minister said it is a big gift for the Raisen and Vidisha region in MP and will provide employment to 5,000 persons.
Madhya Pradesh is moving ahead rapidly in terms of industries as the state has recently received an investment proposal of more than Rs 30 lakh crore, he noted.
"If the leadership is excellent, development happens rapidly. I think that after a few years, people will start calling Madhya Pradesh a modern state," Singh said.
When this unit is ready, the surrounding area will also develop rapidly, he added.
Earlier, Singh performed the bhoomi pujan of the BEML's rail coach unit to be built at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore at Umaria village in Raisen district.
The project has been named BRAHMA (BEML Rail Hub for Manufacturing) and its initial production capacity will be 125 to 200 coaches per year, which is targeted to be increased to 1,100 coaches per year in five years, as per officials.
MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other dignitaries attended the bhoomi pujan programme organised at the Dussehra Ground in Obedullaganj near Umaria.
A video message of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was broadcast during the programme.
(With inputs from PTI)
