Addressing an ‘Intellectuals Meet’ organised in Hyderabad by Telangana BJP, he said that through Operation Sindoor, the government had shown the world that it knows how to respond to those who do not understand the language of peace and harmony-in their own language.
He criticised Congress and other opposition leaders for questioning Operation Sindoor and the bravery of soldiers, saying the government had stated it would stop the supply of grain and water to Pakistan if terror attacks were carried out against India.
“After the Pahalgam terror attack, by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, we said that those whose tears have dried up should not expect water from us. We will not let the waters of the Sindhu reach the patrons of terrorists and enemies of humanity,” he said.
Singh said India has emerged as a “trusted partner” in the world and has always helped countries that faced disasters.
Citing India’s assistance to several countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the country is seen globally as a “vishwa bandhu” (friend of the world). However, he added that India’s enemies should not forget that the country has not only vaccines but also the BrahMos missile.
The country is producing goods not just for itself but for the world, he said.He expressed confidence that the country’s exports would be worth USD two trillion over the next five years.
He said the country’s defence production is worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore and would rise to Rs 1.7 lakh crore within a month.
Singh also said the defence budget allocation had risen to Rs 8 lakh crore from Rs 2.5 lakh crore during his tenure as home minister from 2014 to 2019.
Defence exports stand at Rs 39,000 crore, and the figure is set to increase further in the coming days, he said.
India is exporting defence items to 100 countries, he added.
The defence minister, who spoke on the NDA government’s achievements over the last 11 years, highlighted the abolition of Article 370, making the country largely Naxal-free, the implementation of GST, electrification across the country, and reforms in the justice system, among others.
“There was a time when Congress used to say that no one could abolish Article 370. But you have seen our government abolish it with ease,” he said.
He said that while Kashmir was once known for terrorism, the region is now seeing growth in tourism, investments and employment opportunities.
The Tricolour is flying at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, Krishna Janmashtami is being celebrated there for the first time, Muharram processions are being taken out peacefully, and cinema halls that had remained shut for decades are being reopened, he said.
BJP does not discriminate based on caste, creed, or religion, and its politics are based on justice and humanity – even though the party’s rivals allege that it plays politics on religion, he said.
The BJP had promised to push out illegal infiltrators, and they are being sent back from every BJP-ruled state, including West Bengal, where the party recently came to power, he said.
As per the BJP’s promise, the NDA government carried out necessary reforms to waqf laws, and a beginning towards introducing the Uniform Civil Code has been made in Uttarakhand, he said.
“Work is underway in many BJP-ruled states. What lies ahead, I need not spell out,” he said.
Alleging that Congress treats the country as the fiefdom of a particular family, he said, quoting a writer, that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi used to say before 2014 that “his time would come in 2024.”
This showed that Rahul Gandhi believed he should wait for his time rather than work hard to win people’s confidence. That is the difference between the BJP and PM Modi on one side, and the others on the other, Singh said.
Asserting that the BJP and Modi are honest not only in their work but also in their intentions, Singh said the party always thinks about “the next generation, not the next election.”
He said every rupee of India’s budget was being used to strengthen the country’s security, and that there were no corruption allegations against the NDA government.
“The BJP and the NDA government are not worried about winning the next election, but about securing the future of the next generation. There is no gap between the party’s words and its deeds,” he said.
He accused the previous UPA regime of being plagued by corruption and scams, including “the 2G scam, the coal scam, and the Commonwealth Games scam.”
There was hardly a day without reports of a new scam, resulting in losses of lakhs of crores of rupees to the exchequer, he said.
