Nadda slams UPA over scams in defence purchases

Addressing people during a 'Pragati Rally' here, he praised the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for the defence purchases made in the recent past and claimed that under the previous governments, soldiers even lacked bullet-proof jackets.

"Before the Modi government came to power, no major defence equipment, including aeroplanes, were purchased. And when they went to purchase these, there were scams, be it helicopters, submarines, aircraft or machine guns. During the previous UPA rule, there were scams after scams," he said.

"During our time, 36 Rafale fighter aircraft, 28 Apache and 15 Chinook helicopters have been inducted into the defence fleet...," the BJP leader claimed in a rally organised by Independent MLA and state Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala.

"Our soldiers did not have bullet-proof jackets and now 1.86 lakh of them have got it and we are exporting these jackets now, which shows how much progress India has made. Five lakh AK 203 modern assault rifles have been purchased to better equip our soldiers. I am saying all this to apprise you of the steps we have taken for our soldiers," he said.

Nadda also claimed it was the Modi government at the Centre which fulfilled the long-pending demand of one rank, one pension over which the Congress "only indulged in politics".

Claiming that their focus was only on development of people, Nadda said earlier governments promoted only individuals.

"For a long time, various governments ruled but never before anyone did a pragati rally. Rallies were held to promote a particular individual or a leader.. but here we talk of pragati (progress) of people. In other governments, pragati meant the progress of a leader," he said, adding that their aim was the welfare farmers, poor and Dalits.

Hailing the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said under the "world's biggest health initiative, 55 crore people were covered".

In the past one year, 90 lakh beneficiaries benefitted from it and the Centre had disbursed Rs 12,000 crore to hospitals, he said.

Nadda said until six years ago, Haryana was infamous in entire country due to  low sex ratio in the age group of 0-5, which improved to 923 girls per 1,000 boys in the past five years.

He 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.

"When the Khattar government undertook all-round development, you also gave it blessings in the last assembly polls, for which I thank you," Nadda said, adding that it was a sign of an aware society in which one's good work is appreciated.

He also appreciated Ranjit Chautala for extending a whole-hearted support to BJP-JJP government in the state and assured that the Haryana government will ensure speedier development of Sirsa.