Nirmala Sitharaman
Addressing BJP supporters and workers ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged them to create awareness about the government's achievements during the last four years. She also heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that no major terror attack ad corruption instances have taken place during his rule at the Centre.
Speaking on the party's political resolution on the last day of the two-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Convention here, she also accused the Congress of seeking help from Pakistan to remove Modi as the Prime Minister and said it was possible only under Modi's leadership that the country could foresee a bright future.
"BJP workers should highlight two things. First, that there has been no major terrorist attack after 2014. All attempts to wreak havoc in the country have been eliminated at the border itself and this government has ensured that there are no opportunities for terrorists to disturb peace.
"And second, that we have had corruption-free five years. There has not been even a whisper of corruption in this government," Sitharaman said.
She said that from small to large reforms, Prime Minister Modi had paid attention to good governance.
"If we have to continue on the road of 'sabka saath, sabka vikaas' (development for all), we can't afford to lose momentum. It's only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership that the country can foresee a bright future," she said.
The Defence Minister said the country presented a very sorry picture in 2014 before this government came to power.
"India lived in hopelessness as the government was not responsive, it did not know what the poor needed, there was complete policy paralysis, corruption was rampant and terrorists used to play havoc in the country," she said.
She said the first thing that Modi said after taking charge was that his government would be committed to the welfare of the poor.
"If one counts the number of pro-poor decisions Prime Minister Modi has taken, they would find that there has been on an average one decision every day over the last almost five years. This has led to the transformative change that India is witnessing today."
She said the government was able to implement various social welfare schemes because it was able to maintain peace, which was its top priority.
"Pakistan is today isolated in the world arena due to Prime Minister's diplomacy and his ability to maintain relations with all countries. He has built relations with the leaders of the world. Pakistan is feeling the heat today and unofficial (terror) groups supported by Pakistan wreaking havoc in the country are being stopped right at the border," she said.
Sitharaman added that under Modi's leadership, "the defence forces conducted surgical strikes across the border and instead of commending them, the opposition wanted proof".
"We showed them the proof. And it was the same opposition -- some leaders of the Congress -- who went to Pakistan seeking help to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the kind of dirty politics that the Congress plays."
She said India was at a "historically important juncture" and the BJP workers should create awareness about reforms being undertaken by the government and work in that direction till Lok Sabha election results are declared.
(With IANS inputs)
