Soldiers, borders safe under Modi: Anurag Thakur

India’s borders and its soldiers are safe under the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said on Saturday and alleged that the Congress’ ”hand” is always with foreign powers.

Thakur made the remarks while campaigning in the Chintpurni and the Jaswan-Pragpur assembly segments of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is seeking a fifth consecutive victory.

He said, ”Our Army became stronger, its morale was boosted and the borders were strengthened under Modi’s rule while nothing was safe during the Congress regime.” Hitting out at the grand old party while referring to its election symbol, Thakur said, ”The Congress’ ‘hand’ is always with foreign powers. It handed over thousands of acres of Indian land to the enemies and even today, when our soldiers are showing their bravery in Doklam, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is meeting with Chinese officials.” He also attacked the Congress over the 2016 surgical strike. Thakur said, ”When our Army entered Pakistan and killed the terrorists, these people were demanding proof. Even today, when elections are around the corner, these people are saying that India’s nuclear weapons should be abolished.” India had conducted the surgical strike in September 2016 across the Line of Control as a response to a terror attack on an Army base in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector.

Thakur added that even ”our daughters” are today holding AK-47s and have the courage to ”bury” enemies.

He noted that there used to be direct interference by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and every day there were reports of terror incidents and stone pelting but the Modi-led government removed Article 370 and instilled peace and tranquillity in the Valley. As a result, stone pelting has completely stopped and the terrorists are counting their last breaths, the minister claimed.

Thakur also hit out at the state’s Congress government.

He alleged that the Congress formed the government in Himachal Pradesh by making false promises. Now, during the Lok Sabha elections, it is once again trying to cheat women by making them fill forms to get Rs 1,500 per month.

”Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had openly said after coming to power that ‘we have formed the government by defeating 97 per cent Hindus’,” Thakur claimed. ”Do they intend to cut the reservation meant for SCs, STs and OBCs and give it to Muslims, along the lines of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?” The BJP leader said that 10 years ago, the country uprooted a ”corrupt and chaotic” government and replaced it with an honest one.

In these 10 years, Modi gave his 100 per cent and worked to live up to the hopes and aspirations of the people and today India has earned its place in the ”top five”, Thakur said. All this happened with the power of the public’s vote, he asserted.