Jamui/Banka: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday hailed the armed forces for their success in Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people in April.
“Operation Sindoor has been halted, not stopped. If terrorists attempt to attack India again, we will retaliate strongly,” Singh said.
“Our soldiers didn’t kill terrorists based on religion but because of their deeds. Indian forces completely destroyed the hideouts of terrorists during Operation Sindoor… I don’t want to reveal the number of terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor. It is much more than in three-digit marks,” he said.
India does not provoke anyone, but if anyone provokes the country, they will not be spared, he said.
The defence minister asserted that India is no longer a weak country, and “we are now known as a powerful nation in the world”.
Meanwhile, the Defence Minister alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was “trying to create anarchy” in the country by “demanding reservation in the armed forces”.
Singh also took a jibe at Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, over his recent fishing bid during a poll campaign in Bihar, alleging that the Congress leader has “no option left but to jump into a pond”.
The senior BJP leader also slammed Gandhi for levelling the ‘vote chori’ allegation against the Election Commission, claiming that the Congress MP is “targeting constitutional bodies without any basis”.
Addressing a public rally in Bihar’s Jamui district, Singh said, “What happened to Rahul ji? He is raising the issue of reservation in the defence forces. He is simply trying to create anarchy in the country by demanding reservation in the defence forces. Our forces are above all these.”
“Soldiers of India have only one religion, which is ‘Sainya Dharma’. The BJP supports reservation. We have given reservation to the poor and other eligible sections of the society,” Singh said.
Rahul Gandhi, while addressing public rallies in Bihar on Tuesday, claimed that lower castes, tribal communities and minorities have little representation in private firms, the judiciary, the bureaucracy and the armed forces, and that 10 per cent of the population controls these institutions.
Singh claimed that Gandhi should know that “running the country is not a child’s game”.
During his address at the Gayaji rally, he claimed, “Rahul Gandhi is targeting constitutional bodies, like the Election Commission, without any basis. He knows his party’s defeat is certain.”
His comment comes hours after Gandhi alleged that the Haryana assembly polls last year were “stolen”, and cited electoral list data to claim that “25 lakh entries were fake and the Election Commission colluded with the BJP to make the party win”.
Earlier in the day, addressing another rally in Banka, Singh said, “There is a clear wave in favour of the NDA and the ruling alliance will form the next government in the state with a two-thirds majority,” he asserted.
Singh accused the RJD of threatening people during its rule in the state.
“We talk about development, but the RJD tells people about ‘katta’ (unlicensed country-made handgun). The RJD leaders are shameless, indulge in corruption, and are now seeking your support during the polls,” Singh alleged at the Jamui rally.
There has not been a single corruption case against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he said.
The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress had “never wanted better roads in border areas”.
Singh claimed that the NDA never creates discrimination among people on the basis of caste, creed and religion, and the alliance can only work for ‘Vikshit’ (developed) Bihar.
He also alleged, “RJD leaders used to threaten people and had never worked for Bihar’s development.”
The BJP leader also asserted that the NDA keeps its promises.
