Charkhi Dadri (Haryana) [India], September 30 : Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday responded to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remark about not dying until PM Modi is "removed from power," saying, "I pray to God that Mallikarjun Kharge lives for 125 years and that PM Modi remains Prime Minister for 125 years."
Addressing a public rally in Charkhi Dadri, Singh said, "I respect the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge but yesterday in one his rallies he might not be keeping well and the security personnel were helping him and even then he was saying I will stay alive until I remove Modi Ji from chair. I would like to tell him that maximum age in Kalyug is 125 years. I pray to God that Mallikarjun Kharge lives for 125 years and PM Modi remains the PM for 125 years."
Notably, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday felt unwell while addressing a poll campaign rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district and after taking rest, Kharge said that he will not die until PM Modi is "removed from power."
"We will fight to restore statehood... I am 83 years old, I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power," Congress leader Kharge said.
Targeting the Congress party for misgovernance, Defence Minister Singh said, "You want to see performance of Congress? Just have a look at Himachal Pradesh. They are not able to give salaries to their employees. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are doing mere drama and say that they won't accept any salary."
He also targeted Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his alleged involvement in MUDA scam, saying, "Congress has their government in Karnataka also and look at their condition. Their Chief Minister has charges of corruption against him and they still ask for votes."
Singh criticised the Congress, pointing to the corruption charges against its leaders and also criticised its leadership. He also pointed out that not a single minister in PM Modi's government was accused of corruption during its ten-year tenure.
"Haryana requires a Chief Minister who doesn't have even a single charge of corruption against him. Our government is very particular about this and whenever we any information regarding corruption, strict action is taken and we will continue to do so. None of our ministers have any corruption charges against them. Their ministers have been to jail and can a government be run from the jail," Singh said.
Further attacking the Congress, Singh alleged that Rahul Gandhi sullied the image of India on foreign soil.
He said, "Any political leader whenever he goes to a foreign country always praises his own country but did you listen to Rahul Ji? How he sullied the image of Bharat. He said that Sikhs need to take permission to go to Gurudwara and to wear turban or kada. Have you seen any such atrocity happening on Sikhs?"
"Rahul Ji also says that at one point, reservations will end in India. Reservation is constitutional and I assure you it will always be there. Wherever Congress steps, the condition of that state worsens," Singh added.
Speaking of the situation of the Congress party in Haryana, he said, "One of the female leaders of Congress, I would not name her but she is angry for the last couple of days. Now her mind is speaking but not her heart. The Congress party has a number of internal conflicts and still the CM's face has not been disclosed."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh further emphasised how BJP has been working continuously for last ten years and added that "there will be continuous development in the state and there will be no full stop to it."
"Now the households in Haryana have tap water, the urea to farmers is being provided at an affordable price of Rs 300 per sack, whereas in other countries the same sack of urea is priced at Rs 3000 RS and till date, Rs 3.25 lakh crore has been allocated to farmers under Kisaan Samman Neeti, MSP has been provided for 24 crops and will be done for other crops as well. There will be continuous development in the state and there will be no full stop to it," he said.
BJP in its manifesto, has promised to provide every woman in the state with Rs 2100 per month under laado Lakshmi yojana, health benefits upto Rs 10 lakh to every family and additional health benefits of Rs 5 lakh to senior citizens aged above 70 and a scooty to every college going female student and gas cylinder at an affordable price of Rs 500.
Singh also added that BJP aims to streamline the electoral process in the country and the One Nation, One Election Bill will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.
"Four months back we had Lok Sabha elections in the state and now we have Vidhan Sabha elections. If the elections would have been done together, then this would have saved the money and time. Keeping this in mind, PM Modi has thought of conducting the elections together and the One Nation, One Election bill will be introduced in the winter session of the Parliament," she said.
Haryana will go to the polls on October 5 to elect its 90-member state legislative assembly, with counting set to take place on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, securing 40 seats, while Congress won 30 seats. The BJP is confident of forming the government in the state for third term.