"BJP Not Against Muslims, Islamic Nations Honoured PM Modi": Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh debunked the Opposition charge that the BJP was creating a Hindu-Muslim divide, highlighting the goodwill enjoyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in several Islamic countries.

The former BJP president, who addressed election rallies in Bihar's Supaul and Saran Lok Sabha constituencies, urged the minority community to be wary of the Congress and its ally RJD, charging the opposition parties with “seeking votes by kicking sand in your face”.

“In at least five Islamic countries of the Arab world, PM Modi has been conferred with the highest honour. And they (the Opposition) have the temerity of charging us with (creating divisions) between Hindus and Muslims,” Mr Singh said.

“I would, however, urge my Muslim brethren not to be ensnared by these people and parties like RJD and Congress, who are trying to get your votes by kicking sand in your face,” he said.

Mr Singh also said reservations along religious lines are not possible under the Constitution.

“Of course, there is a provision for quotas for the backward classes and those sections of the Muslim population that are lagging are covered under the same,” he said.

“Muslims should also understand our motive behind illegalising triple talaq. How can one tolerate such a practice which inflicted untold miseries upon so many Muslim sisters and daughters? We took action without worrying about electoral consequences. I am glad to see that our stand against triple talaq has been appreciated by many Muslims,” the defence minister said.

Mr Singh also claimed that the NDA was on course to achieve its target of 400-plus Lok Sabha seats, and “a beginning” has been made in Surat, where the BJP candidate was elected unopposed, and in Indore, where the Congress nominee withdrew his nomination and joined the BJP.

“Now, the Opposition is crying hoarse that this would imperil democracy. Let me tell you that since Independence, at least 28 candidates have been elected unopposed. Twenty of them belonged to the Congress and two were from its ally Samajwadi Party,” Mr Singh said.

He also said the Congress would soon become extinct “like dinosaurs” and “future generations would have to be told that something called the Congress existed”.

“Mahatma Gandhi wanted the party to be disbanded. It seems the party is being cursed by his soul,” Mr Singh said.

The defence minister said he did “not wish to speak against anybody who has been the Prime Minister since it involved an institution and not just an individual” while drawing a contrast between the rule of PM Modi and Congress PMs since Jawaharlal Nehru.

“I do not say that those in our ranks have been consecrated with milk. But, whenever somebody is found guilty of any wrongdoing, the BJP-led NDA has not shied away from getting rid of tainted elements,” he asserted.

The senior BJP leader lauded his Bihar ally, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U), saying, “You may have many grievances against him, but you cannot say he is corrupt. In contrast, you have the RJD, which has been most notorious with regards to its track record on corruption, while in power”.

“Beware of parties like the RJD, which want to take you back to the age of the lantern, and set up cow sheds doubling up as schools,” Mr Singh said, referring to the opposition party's poll symbol and a scheme launched by its president Lalu Prasad in the 1990s as the Chief Minister of Bihar.

He also claimed that under PM Modi, India's global standing has grown, citing the willingness of Russia and Ukraine to halt the war for a few hours to facilitate the return of students.

“Also, unlike in the past, terrorists cannot strike at will as we have made known that India will hit back, even going across the border, if the need arises,” the defence minister said.

He also alleged that the decade-long tenure of Manmohan Singh was marked by stagnation.

“But, PM Modi worked a miracle. We have jumped to the fifth spot and experts around the world agree that we are poised to be among the top three by 2027,” he said and pointed out that “organisations like the IMF say we have brought out 25 crore people from the clutches of poverty, something which the Congress could not achieve despite slogans of ‘Garibi Hatao'”.

Referring to the advocacy of inheritance tax by Sam Pitroda - an advisor of the Congress' top leadership who also heads the party's overseas wing, the former BJP president asked, “Do you want such a system to be in place?”.

The Union minister also stressed PM Modi's welfare initiatives, touching upon the ‘Jan Dhan' scheme, and the proposal to bring “all people aged over 70 years, whether poor or not”, under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

“We also intend to provide 300 units of electricity, free of charge, to every household through rooftop solar panels,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)