One strong year with no loss of wicket for NDA govt, says Rajnath
In an effort to dispel the notion that bureaucrats wield more power than some of the ministers in the NDA regime, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said all ministers in the Narendra Modi government are all empowered (sashakta).
During the press conference called to highlight achievements of the NDA government’s over the last year, in a reply to a question from HT, Rajnath Singh said: “Koi ashakta nahi hain. Sabhi log sashakta hain (No one is powerless. All are empowered).”
On bureaucracy wielding power, Singh said nothing much can achieved by a weak administrative system. “There is no such problem now. There might be in the past but that’s history now.”
“The score as of now is one strong year with no loss of wicket,” Singh said in his opening remarks. When asked about the ‘hit wicket’ that his cabinet ministers often find themselves doing — with statements like that of Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi that those eating beef should go to Pakistan — Singh said: “All those who are in India will stay in India.”
After the press conference, Rijiju told HT that he doesn’t eat beef at all.
On Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s criticism that in the NDA government only PM speaks and all other listen, the home minister said they talk less and work more and PM also speaks whenever there is need.
To a question about whether his ‘aache din’ (good days) were when he was BJP President or have they come after he became Home Minister, Singh said “Hum sada bahar hain(I am a man for all seasons).”
On the contentious issues of Ram Temple and Article 370, Singh said the issues are important but at the moment priority is development.
On bringing back Dawood Ibrahim from Pakistan, Singh said India has taken up the issue with Pakistan many times and the government is continuously making efforts in this direction.
On the heatwave issue, Singh said victims will now be provided relief from the state disaster relief fund (SDRF) and that the centre has sent an advisory to the states as well to get it implemented.