BHUBANESWAR: Urging people to vote for BJP and oust the BJD Government to ensure speedy development of the State, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday announced that all farmers will be provided interest free loan of Rs 1 lakh for five years if the saffron party comes to power in Odisha.
Addressed several election meetings in Keonjhar, Cuttack and Puri Parliamentary constituencies, which are going to polls in the second phase on April 23, Rajnath promised that Karanjia will be linked with railway line and the closed sugar factory will be reopened if BJP is voted to power in the State.
The Union Minister claimed that poverty has been reduced in the country during the last five years and the number of poor has come down to five crore from 12.5 crore. “When BJP came to power in 2014, India’s position in terms of economy was ninth. Now within four and a half years, India’s place is sixth in the world. We will be among the top three by 2030,” he claimed.
Rajnath said Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves credit for the air strikes inside Pakistan just as Indira Gandhi was honoured for the success in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He hit out at the Congress for seeking evidence of the outcome of Balakot air strikes by the Indian Air Force and said the BJP-led Government has been able to effectively isolate Pakistan for sheltering terror elements.
He recounted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had praised Indira Gandhi for the success in 1971 Bangladesh war and said the party would not hesitate to fully cooperate with her. “Now, what is wrong in praising Modiji if he gave a fitting reply to Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack?” he asked.
Rajnath also criticised the Opposition for seeking to know the number of terrorists killed in the air strikes. “How can the jawans count the number when the target is a huge gathering of terrorists? Jawans do not count bodies, it is the work of vultures,” he said.
Strongly criticising the then Congress Government for not taking action against Pakistan-based terrorists after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, Rajnath said Modi, on the other hand, acted promptly and launched an attack on terrorist camps at Balakot in Pakistan within 13 days of the Pulwama attack. “This is the difference between BJP and the Congress,” he added.