The BJP has given a corruption-free government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, besides setting the country on the path of becoming one of the largest economies of the world, Union Minister Rajnath Singh said at a series of rallies in Uttarakhand.
Addressing poll rallies in Pithoragarh, Gopeshwar, Kotdwar and Jhabrera, he said Modi has piloted the country steadily on the path of development.
In Pithoragarh, canvassing for BJP MP Ajay Tamta, who has been renominated from Almora (reserved) Lok Sabha constituency, Singh said the Congress should learn from the BJP how a government should be run and accused the grand old party of always doing politics over the issue of development.
"India, which ranked 11th in the list of world economies in 2013, has jumped to the sixth position and will stand 5th in the list over the next six months. If the pace of development continues, India will be the third largest economy in the world by 2028," Singh said at the rally at the D S Bisht ground in Pithoragarh.
"How a government is run is something the Congress should learn from the BJP. There has not been a single charge of corruption against any minister in the Modi cabinet in the last five years," he said.
In the Almora (reserved) Lok Sabha constituency, BJP's Ajay Tamta is pitted against arch rival Congress' Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Tamta.
Referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's proposed minimum income guarantee scheme aiming to lift five crore families out of poverty, Singh said, "The poverty alleviation slogan was first given by Jawaharlal Nehru and carried forward by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. It is being repeated by Rahul Gandhi who is promising to put Rs 72,000 into the account of every poor person."
"It is a fake promise like the slogan of poverty alleviation," he said.
He also attacked the Congress president for being "abusive" towards the prime minister, saying it was not just a post but an institution.
Quoting an American think tank, the senior BJP leader said the number of poor people in India that stood at 16.5 crore in the year 2015 has now reduced to five crore.
"It is due to steps taken towards poverty alleviation by the Modi government in the last five years. Not only the American think tank but even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today," Singh said.
The BJP leader claimed that while the Manmohan Singh government constructed only 25 lakh houses in five years, the Modi dispensation got 1.30 crore houses built for the poor during its tenure.
"While only 47 per cent houses were provided toilets in the last 55 years, the Modi government constructed toilets for 98 per cent houses in the last five years only," he claimed.
The Union home minister praised Trivendra Singh Rawat, saying the Uttarakhand chief minister was the only one to envision a universal health scheme much before the Centre launched Ayushman Bharat.
"Under the present chief minister, the state is growing speedily," he said, adding the development of hill states is only possible when the centre has the same party in government as the state.
At a rally in Gopeshwar, Singh began his speech in the manner of a courtroom pledge to state only the truth.
"I will state only the truth and nothing but the truth," he said.
"Those who came before us (Congress governments) left without keeping their promises. We believe in looking straight into the eyes and talking. If we continue to grow at the current pace we will be among the three biggest economies in the world by 2028," Singh said.
In 70 years after Independence, several governments came and went but it was only during the Vajpayee and Modi governments that the taint of corruption could not touch a single minister at the Centre, he said.
Claiming that India's prestige abroad had grown under Modi like never before, Singh said, "Earlier, our armed forces kept waving white flag in response to enemy bullets fired from across the border. We stopped this practice. Now our forces have standing orders to fire a bullet for a bullet."
After terrorist attacks, Indian forces identified terror targets beyond the boundaries and destroyed them successfully, he said.
Alleging that a "slander campaign" is going on against Modi, Singh termed it unfortunate and said prime minister and president are not just posts but institutions.
"Speaking irresponsibly against them weakens democracy and eventually the country," he said.
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