Modi at Centre and BJP in Odisha, asserts Defence minister Rajnath Singh

BHUBANESWAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to power for a third term and BJP forming the next government in Odisha is now a certainty.

“It is certain that Modiji will become prime minister for the third time. He will be the prime minister for the fourth term too,” said Singh sounding BJP’s poll bugle in the state.

Addressing his first meeting of BJP workers at Nabarangpur, the veteran leader said the state is ready for a double-engine government and no force can prevent the party from achieving its goal to steer Odisha towards rapid economic growth. “Odisha appears to be all prepared to take a new flight. People of the state are fully ready for a double-engine government,” Singh said. Addressing two more Vijay Sankalp Yatra meetings at Berhampur and Baripada, Singh mostly targeted the previous UPA regime at Centre and the Congress without uttering a word against the BJD government in the state which the BJP is trying to dislodge.

Recalling his connection with Odisha, Singh said, “I share an emotional bond with Odisha. We had started Bharat Suraksha Yatra during the Congress-led UPA government from Odisha when the country was under the grip of terrorism and Naxalism.”

However, the world’s view of India changed after the surgical strike following the Pulwama incident. The country not only gave a befitting reply to those sponsoring terrorism but terror and Naxal attacks have been contained to a great extent. Now Naxalism is limited to only a few districts, he added.

Singh said, BJP is the only party which fulfills its poll promises. “We had said Article 370 will be abolished in Jammu and Kashmir. We did it. We abolished the evil practice of triple talaq. We promised to build a grand temple in Ayodhya and it is done,” he said.

Singh did not forget to present a comparative picture on the contribution of previous Central governments to Odisha and the generous funding of the Modi government to the state in the last 10 years. The senior BJP leader told the crowd at Baripada about the special attention given to tribals by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Modi government.

“The BJP government has always given priority to development of tribal communities who were neglected by the Congress government for long time. Congress has a narrow mindset towards the tribal communities which was evident when the party opposed Droupadi Murmu becoming the President of India,” he said.