A day after the successful test of India’s anti-satellite (ASAT) missile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a stinging attack on opposition parties, especially the Congress, slamming them for their reaction to Mission Shakti.
Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, the PM said that when the scientists sought permission to test the ASAT during the UPA regime, the government of the day chose to delay it.
“Our scientists sought permission to conduct this test but the previous government got it postponed. This decision should have been taken in the interest of the country long ago but it continued to getting delayed,” the PM said before a massive gathering of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters.
Following the resounding success of the ASAT test which made India the fourth space superpower in the world, former DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat said that the agency had made presentations to National Security Adviser and National Security Council during the UPA regime but “unfortunately, we didn’t get positive response (from UPA), so we didn’t go ahead”.
At the rally, which is the PM’s first since the announcement of the dates for Lok Sabha elections 2019, the PM chastised the opposition for questioning the valour of the forces by asking for proof of various operations undertaken in the interest of national security.
“Today as the nation is trying to build its strength and is doing chowkidari (keeping a watch) in space, some are having a problem,” he said referring to the term he and his party have been using as a catchword in this election.
“They keep asking for proof. I want to ask whether my countrymen want saboot (proof) or sapoot (worthy son). Those who want saboot challenge the valour of sapoot,” he said as the crowd responded with cheers.
Targeting the opposition, the PM said, “These people always want to keep the nation weak. I want to know on whose signal and to benefit who do they adopt these stances.”
The PM said that he is ready to put his everything on the stake for the sake of the country.
“No political pressure, no international pressure can threaten this chowkidar,” he said.
The PM also accused the opposition parties, who are trying to forge a grand alliance, of competing for airtime in Pakistan.
“All these mahamilavati people are busy competing on who will get the maximum footage in Pakistan,” he said using the term, mahamilavati (grand adulteration), to refer to the alliance.
“When they (Congress-led UPA) had a government in Delhi then blasts used to happen in many corners of the country. But they used to look at the identity of a terrorist to decide whether to save or punish him,” the PM alleged.
The PM’s campaign in Meerut today was the first in a series of poll rallies he will address over the course of the election season which begins on 11 April and will continue in seven phases till 19 May.
He is also scheduled to hold rallies in J-K and Uttarakhand on 28 March.
The Prime Minister has already covered 22 states touching over 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in two months before the announcement of the poll dates.