We will win again, Lucknow among best cities: Rajnath
LUCKNOW: Union home minister Rajnath Singh said the Modi government would return to power again in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He said he was trying to develop Lucknow, his Lok Sabha constituency, as one of the best cities in the world.
After inaugurating Uttarayani festival in the state capital on Monday night – the festival is annually organised by people from erstwhile UP hills, now Uttarakhand-- Singh said, “We will form the next government too and would continue efforts to upgrade Lucknow to a world class city.”
Rajnath also spoke of how through his efforts he has got several big ticket projects sanctioned for his constituency from where he is widely tipped to re-contest. On the occasion he also announced that the Lucknow Kathgodam Express train connecting Lucknow to Kathgodam would run on a daily basis.
LAKHIMPUR KHERI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said there had been a remarkable improvement in the country’s internal security in the last four years.
“During the last four years, India has witnessed a 50% drop in Naxalism and extremism in the north-eastern states has declined by 80%,” he said, talking to reporters after inaugurating the SSB sector headquarters building in Lakhimpur. Describing Kashmir as a challenge, he added, “this was due to Pakistan, which was continuously attempting to destabilise the state with its ‘napak’ (disruptive) activities.” Lauding the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, he said “The Army, CRPF, J&K police and IB are acting in utmost coordination and discharging their duties sincerely, resulting in elimination of terrorists.” The union home minister also said “India’s economy, which was ranked ninth in the world before 2014, rose to sixth thereafter.” “The Indian economy, which the world acknowledges as the fastest growing one, will rank fifth in the next financial year,” he said. Lauding the NDA government’s health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat, he said, “No other country in the world has such a universal healthcare scheme.”
Singh, who has been appointed BJP manifesto incharge for the Lok Sabha polls, refused to make any political comment.
When asked about the falling rupee against the dollar, Singh said, “This always happens due to certain factors, including fluctuation in crude oil prices.” But he added, “The power of the Indian economy cannot be judged by dollar.” On the Rafale controversy, Singh said, “Everything has become clear now. Even the Supreme Court has given a clean chit.” A number of SSB jawans were eager to hear the home minister speak on the old pension scheme, but Singh, when asked about the issue, refrained from making any observation.
Besides the SSB sector headquarters administrative building, he was here to inaugurate the officers’ mess at the SSB sector headquarter at Midaniya, besides attending a meeting with security personnel. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) director general Kumar Rajesh Chandra, inspector general, SSB, Saurabh Tripathi, BJP Kheri MP Ajay Kumar Mishra Teni and BJP district president Lokendra Pratap Singh were also present on the occasion.
HOME MINISTER LAUDS SSB
Union home minister Rajnath Singh praised the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for deftly handling security on the 2500-km open India-Nepal and the IndiaBhutan border.
Addressing SSB jawans after inaugurating the administrative building of the SSB sector headquarters here, Singh said “The SSB men are safeguarding the border areas adjoining Nepal and Bhutan with full sincerity and integrity, while keeping the cordial relations (with the two neighbouring countries) intact.” “It was the SSB in Kheri which bravely thwarted infiltration attempts of Pakistani insurgents through the open India-Nepal border,” he said.