Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 7 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended a programme under the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' in Ghaziabad, where he lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25-year milestone in public governance, asserting that PM Modi has redefined politics from a tool to form governments into a mission for nation-building.
Addressing the gathering, the Defence Minister underlined India's robust economic growth under the Prime Minister's leadership and expressed confidence in achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.
"Our aim is to become a developed country. Under the leadership of PM Modi, our country is among the top 5 economies in the world today. If the West Asia crisis had not emerged, India would have been in the top three spots in the world in terms of the size of the economy. Even today, India's economy is growing at 7.4 per cent," Rajnath Singh said.
Highlighting the Prime Minister's relentless work ethic and dedication since he first assumed office as Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, Singh said:
"Before 2014, the word 'politics' had lost its true meaning and essence. In these years, Modi ji has proved that politics is not merely a medium to form governments, but a medium for nation-building. There is perhaps no Prime Minister in the world who hasn't taken a single day off in a year. In his 25 years as Chief Minister and Prime Minister, Modi ji has not taken a single leave. We want to make India a developed nation by 2047... Under Modi ji’s leadership, India's economy stands among the top five nations in the world."
Launching a sharp attack on the opposition parties over recent agitations and protests, the Defence Minister accused them of fabricating issues for electoral gains.
"Today, opposition parties are turning non-issues into issues; they are lying down on the streets merely to create confusion among the public and gain electoral advantage. Come to the facts," he remarked.
"If a person makes a mistake while working, we possess the resilience and courage to bow our heads and accept our mistake. This moral courage lies with the BJP and the NDA. We do not need to be swayed by anyone's rhetoric. In a democracy, no one can be stopped either. The public understands truth and falsehood. The opposition believes that if a lie is repeated a hundred times, the public will accept it as truth. A farmer may be economically constrained, but never politically weak," the Defence Minister asserted.