SAHARANPUR/BULANDSHAHR (UP), April 10: The BJP has changed the public’s perception that politicians speak lies to seek votes, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday and asserted “it is our character that we do what we say”.
Speaking at a campaign rally for the BJP’s Saharanpur candidate Raghav Lakhanpal, he said, “A few years ago, there was a perception that politicians speak lies to seek votes and go away. They don’t care about the public or the nation. This was the common perception towards politicians and political parties.”
“We have changed this perception. It is our character that we do what we say. Earlier, it was the norm to think that a politician would lie but we changed this perception,” Singh added.
The defence minister said political parties make big promises in their manifestos but forget those after assuming power.
“We have overcome the crisis of confidence in politics. We had promised to revoke Article 370 and we did it after assuming power. We had promised to abolish triple talaq and we did it after getting a majority in Parliament,” he said.
Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said the perception of India has improved under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He claimed that Modi “halted” the war between Russia and Ukraine to ensure safe passage for Indian students stuck in the war-torn country.
“In Qatar, retired Navy personnel awarded capital punishment were released after being pardoned by the government there. This shows the stature of India in the world,” he added.
Qatar released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel 46 days after their death sentences, handed out last October, were commuted to jail terms of varying duration.
Under Modi’s leadership, India — once an importer of defence technology — is now exporting those, Singh said.
The defence minister also praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for improving the state’s law and order.
Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, the senior BJP leader said, “In 2017 (assembly elections), the Samajwadi Party and the Congress ran a narrative that the backward classes were angry with the BJP. In 2019 (Lok Sabha elections), they ran a narrative that the Brahmins were angry. During the 2022 assembly elections, they ran a narrative that the Jats were angry. Now, they are claiming that the Rajputs are angry.”
“They are not ready to accept that be it the Congress or the Samajwadi Party, the entire Uttar Pradesh is angry with them,” Singh claimed.
The Samajwadi Party is in such a state that it is changing candidates every day and the Congress is not even getting people to contest the elections, he said.
The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in Uttar Pradesh.
During another rally in Bulandshahr, Singh lashed out at the Congress, claiming the party and corruption are “made for each other”.
He alleged that terror attacks were common during Congress governments but “no one can dare to commit such an attack today”.
Campaigning for the BJP’s Bulandshahr candidate Bhola Singh, the defence minister said the opposition parties used to ridicule the BJP for promising to construct a grand temple for Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
“We fulfilled that promise on January 22,” Singh said.
The Lukcnow MP also said the BJP cannot compromise on the rights of women.
He further said, “Earlier, people around the world used to take India lightly but everyone today listens patiently to what India says.”
Both Saharanpur and Bulandshahr go to the polls during the first phase on April 19. (PTI)
