Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Nadda slams Congress over defence purchases

BJP national president says only scams came to the fore during UPA regime; lauds Khattar government’s initiative­s towards healthcare

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

SIRSA: BJP national president JP Nadda on Sunday lashed out at the previous UPA government, accusing it of corruption in the purchase of defence equipment.

Addressing people during ‘Pragati Rally’ at Khariyan village in Sirsa’s Rania, he praised the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for the defence purchases made lately and claimed that under the previous government­s, soldiers even lacked bulletproo­f jackets.

“Only scams came to the fore during the UPA government’s regime whenever it wished to purchase weapons for the Indian Army,” he said.

“It is only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is completely dedicated towards the people of the nation,” he added.

At the rally organised by power and jails minister Ranjit Singh, who is the MLA from Rania assembly segment, Nadda said the name of the event – Pragati – spoke volumes about the BJP government.

“Before the BJP government came into power, no one ever spared a thought for the Indian Army. It was the BJP government which bought 28 Apache choppers and 1.86 lakh bulletproo­f jackets for the soldiers. This government also equipped the army with five lakh AK 203 assault rifles,” Nadda added.

Claiming that the BJP government hears the voice of the common people, the party’s national president said, “Leaders of previous regimes always focussed on their own developmen­t and never cared about the masses.”

He also praised the improvemen­t in the sex ratio of the state. “Earlier, the sex ratio in Haryana was 830 against 1,000. But after the launch of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme, the sex ratio in Haryana reached 923 females against 1,000 males,” he added.

Nadda recounted big health projects coming up in the state, including AIIMS at Manethi and the country’s biggest cancer centre at Jhajjar. “Had you ever thought that Haryana will get these projects,” he asked the gathering. “If a leader and party are good, then work is done and developmen­t takes place in an area without any discrimina­tion,” he said referring to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Khattar, who was also present at the event, said in the last five years, the BJP government never neglected any assembly segment of the state and always aimed at equal developmen­t.

“This is my fourth rally. In coming three months, I will cover the entire state and would tell people what the BJP government did for them,” he added.

Taking a jibe at the finance department, he said, “Earlier, I was not holding the charge of the finance department, thus never came to know about the input and output. Now, I am head of the finance department and have enough money for developmen­t purpose.”

Khattar also promised that roads up to the length of 3,000 km will be built in the state. “All damaged roads will be repaired in next three years. We are also devising a plan of having private mandis for farmers. Such mandis will help them (farmers) in selling their produce directly. It will be entirely on the farmers whether they want to take their produce to government mandis or want to sell at private mandis. This will increase the income of farmers,” the CM added.

He also inaugurate­d three projects worth of ₹50.46 crore.

 ??  ?? Haryana power minister Ranjit Singh felicitati­ng BJP national president JP Nadda as party’s state chief Subhash Barala looks on, at a rally in Sirsa on Sunday. ANI PHOTO
Haryana power minister Ranjit Singh felicitati­ng BJP national president JP Nadda as party’s state chief Subhash Barala looks on, at a rally in Sirsa on Sunday. ANI PHOTO

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