Major Change In India's Image Abroad, Says JP Nadda

BJP president JP Nadda on Thursday said there has been a major change in India's image abroad with the focus now shifting to agreements on space, investment and technology.

Addressing a public rally in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, he claimed that while talking about India now, no one refers to Pakistan.

"Before 2014, whenever international leaders discussed about India, they used to say 'India and Pakistan'," Mr Nadda said, adding after Narendra Modi became prime minister, no one links the two countries.

Pakistan has become secondary, he said.

Before 2014, prime ministers visiting the US used to discuss cross-border terrorism. But now, relations between the two countries have reached new heights under the Modi's leadership, the BJP chief said.

"Today, there is an agreement on space, cryogenic engines, foreign direct investment and technical support," he said.

"We do not talk about terrorism because under the leadership of PM Modi, we have achieved the ability to keep the country safe and we are moving forward." The BJP chief also attacked rival parties over dynastic politics, saying, "While others have become parties of families, in BJP the party is family." "Omar Abdullah's party (National Conference) is a party of the family, Mehbooba Mufti's party (PDP) is a party of the family. In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal is a family party so is the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, we are fighting against RJD... Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav... it is the party of a family.

"In West Bengal, we are fighting TMC, a party of Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Biju Janata Dal of Naveen Patnaik, YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrashekhar Rao's party, DMK in Tamil Nadu, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena -- all are family parties," JP Nadda said.

Attacking the Congress, he said it has also become a party of "mother, daughter and son".

At the rally, JP Nadda credited the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana with reducing poverty from 22 per cent to 10 per cent and said that extreme poverty has been brought down to less than 1 per cent.

Before 2014, India was seen as a corrupt nation, he alleged and said PM Modi has ended vote-bank politics and "started a politics based on report card".

Attacking the Congress government in Rajasthan, where elections are due later this year, he said the state stood at 29th position in performance in the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission despite getting the highest budgetary allocation under it.

He urged the people to bring the BJP back to power in Rajasthan in the upcoming assembly elections.

Under the Congress rule, Rajasthan has become a leading state in crime against women, Mr Nadda alleged.

Before addressing the rally, the BJP national president inaugurated the party office in Bharatpur.

This is not an office but a "karyalaya" which remains open round the clock, Mr Nadda said and referred to it as a "Sanskar Kendra" for inculcating values among the party workers.

JP Nadda suggested the BJP's Rajasthan unit president build a library in the building and make books on Bahratpur's history available there.

BJP national vice president and in-charge for Rajasthan Arun Singh, party's state unit president CP Joshi, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, and Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore were among the leaders present on the occasion.

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