Poverty to be fully eradicated from India in next 10-15 years, says Rajnath Singh

Bhawanipatna/Rayagada, May 8 (PTI) Asserting that the BJP will win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday claimed that poverty would be completely eradicated from India in the next 10-15 years and this is "Modi's guarantee".

Singh addressed two election rallies in Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi, and Rayagada.

"Though all Congress leaders from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh promised to end poverty, they failed. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started the process to end poverty," he claimed.

Noting that about 25 crore people have been lifted from below the poverty line under the Modi regime, the defence minister said that this is not the BJP's claim but as per the Niti Aayog's data.

No previous government had done what PM Modi did during his rule, he claimed.

"No family in India will be without a pucca house, piped drinking water and LPG connection in the next five years," he asserted.

Singh said that earlier, articles were written on "poverty tourism" in Kalahandi as the district was known for hunger, starvation deaths and poverty but things have undergone a massive change under the Modi government.

Lauding the oratory skills of BJP's Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat candidate Malavika Devi, Singh appealed to the people of Kalahandi to cast their votes on the 'lotus' symbol of the BJP for "highlighting local issues at the national level".

Quoting former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on expenditure of public money, Singh said, "If the Centre sent Rs 1, only 15 paise reached the poor. However, direct bank transfers under the Modi regime ended corruption and people get full amount sent by the Union government." Appealing to people to install a BJP government in Odisha, he said that Ayushman Bharat health scheme would be implemented in the state if the party was voted to power.

The defence minister claimed that terrorism has almost come to an end under the BJP government due to stern action against terrorists and sporadic cases will "completely vanish from Indian soil" under the leadership of PM Modi.

Singh attacked the Congress for "utterly failing" to curb corruption despite remaining in power for decades.

Referring to Congress's allegation that the BJP would change the Constitution of India, Singh said, "They (Congress) have changed the Constitution 80 times... they had even changed the Preamble during the Emergency." On alleged misuse of CBI and ED against opposition leaders, Singh said everybody is free to challenge the work of investigating agencies in the court of law if there is any violation.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections would be held simultaneously in Odisha. PTI