If Modi is crushing democracy, how did Cong win in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka: Rajnath Singh

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, June 24

Taking a swipe at the June 23 Opposition meeting held in Patna, senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh today said those questioning democracy in the Modi government should have organised this meeting on June 25 to mark the anniversary of Emergency imposed by the Congress.

“The 17 Opposition parties accused Modiji of strangulating democracy when it was the Congress that had imposed Emergency on the nation. Had they held the meeting on June 25 instead of June 23, they could have also marked the anniversary of Emergency,” said the Defence Minister while addressing the gathering at Sector 34 ground on the occasion of completion of nine years of BJP government at the Centre.

“They are saying Modi is finishing democracy. If that is so, how did the Congress win in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh,” questioned the minister.

In an apparent dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath quipped, “There is one young man. I want to say some lines for him. If ‘jugnu’ drinks, he even abuses the sun. I am not calling anyone ‘jugnu’ here.”

Praising the Centre, he said no one was accused of corruption in the Modi government, but in the 10-year Congress government, many ministers were accused of corruption. The Modi government has taken all possible steps to end corruption, he claimed.

On Punjab issues, he said Kartarpur Sahib is 4-5 km away from Punjab. But at the time of Partition, had the Congress wanted, Kartarpur would have been a part of India. He said if someone felt the pain of this, it was PM Narendra Modi. Today, the place is connected with us.

Paying tribute to former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, he said, “Even if a member of NDA goes away, we do not remove him from our heart.”