Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that India possesses the capability to launch strikes against its enemies, both from its territory and across the Line of Control (LoC), as the country has the world’s best military.
Addressing an election rally in Kathua in Jammu, he said that India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, has ascended to become the world's foremost nation in all aspects. "We have the ability to conduct operations against our adversaries beyond the LoC and even within their territories across it. We demonstrated our might during the surgical strike on September 28," he said.
Seeking support for the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for the Udhampur parliamentary constituency, Dr Jitendera Singh, the defence minister emphasised that India, under PM Modi's stewardship, is scaling unprecedented heights. "Our military strength is widely acknowledged as the best in the world."
He criticised the regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference, the People’s Democratic Party, and Congress for "misusing Article 370" for their political gain. "I have seen images of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi playing in the snow in Kashmir. How could they have done so if Article 370 were still in place?" Singh questioned.
Taking a swipe at PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for having warned that nobody would hoist the tricolour if Article 370 was revoked. “Today, the tricolor (flag) is flying high in every household and government building," he said.
He highlighted that in the BJP's manifesto, PM Modi had ensured the provision of free healthcare for individuals above 70 years of age, regardless of their income level. "Who else but Modi could achieve this?" Singh said. He urged people to cast their votes overwhelmingly in favour of the candidate.
Highlighting the steps taken by the BJP to empower women, he said regardless of caste or creed, they have ensured the protection of women by all means. “We abolished Triple Talaq to ensure women's safety. It was a great injustice that a man could divorce a woman by uttering 'Talaq' three times within ten days of marriage," he said, adding that the BJP is dedicated to empowering three crore Lakhpati Behanjis (women millionaires) to uplift women.
The Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency is going to poll in the first phase, on April 19. The BJP is up against the Congress and has fielded Chaudhary Lal Singh, a former MP.
