Punjab: Inflation higher when Congress governed at Centre, says Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh. File pic

Inflation was higher whenever the Congress governed at the Centre, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday and asserted that India's unemployment rate is the lowest among big countries, reported news agency PTI.

He also targeted the AAP government in Punjab, saying it has turned the state into 'Kangla Punjab' (bankrupt Punjab). Singh made the remarks at election rallies in Punjab's Ferozepur and Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituencies.

Attacking the Congress, the Union minister said the inflation rate was 2 per cent from 1947 to 1950, and it "increased to 13.8 per cent during Nehru's time. From 1964 to 1966, it was over 10 per cent". During Morarji Desai's government, the first thing that was done was to lift restrictions on the movement of farm produce from one state to another, Singh said. As a result, inflation, which had touched 30 per cent, came down to 7 per cent, he claimed, reported PTI.

"From 1947 to 2022, if you go by the record on inflation, whenever the Congress governed, it increased manifold," Singh said, adding that when the party was voted out of power, inflation came down. He said the opposition is spreading falsehoods on unemployment and inflation, reported PTI.

"They say inflation has increased during BJP rule. Our prime minister has, to a large extent, controlled inflation," the senior BJP leader said. Singh addressed the rallies to garner support for the BJP's Ferozepur candidate Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Anandpur Sahib candidate Subhash Sharma. Targeting the AAP, Singh said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had promised to make a 'Rangla Punjab' (vibrant Punjab) but it has turned the state into 'Kangla Punjab', reported PTI.

They never do what they say, he said. On the other hand, there is no difference between the words and deeds of the BJP. "We do what we promise," he asserted. He said the crisis of credibility in the country's politics has been created by all these parties. Singh also targeted the Congress over the "misuse" of Article 356 of the Constitution, saying it dissolved elected governments 90 times. "Is this not dictatorship?" he asked, reported PTI.

In its 10 years, the Modi government did not dissolve any elected government, he said. And they say democracy will be in danger if the BJP returns to power, said Singh, referring to the opposition's charge. The opposition is also spreading falsehoods that if the BJP returns to power after the Lok Sabha elections, it will end reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), he said and asserted that this is never going to happen.

In Ferozepur, Singh also countered the opposition's criticism of the government over the issue of unemployment. The unemployment rate in India is the lowest among big countries, the minister asserted, reported PTI.

"In South Africa, the unemployment rate is 32.6 per cent, 15.55 per cent in Iraq, 7.9 per cent in Brazil, 7.6 per cent in Italy, 7.2 per cent in France, 5.3 per cent in China and 3.8 per cent in the US. In India, it is 3.2 per cent," he said. Yet, the opposition parties spread falsehoods, he said. Training his guns at the AAP and Kejriwal, Singh said, "Liquor shops were opened in every street in Delhi during Kejriwal's tenure."

There is "goondagardi (hooliganism)", drug trade and heroin smuggling in AAP-governed Punjab, he alleged. He suggested that the AAP wants the drug trade to continue so that no one pays attention to its government. Addressing a poll rally in Jalandhar on May 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also hit out at the AAP, saying it had promised to end the drug trade in two months "but today, drug dealers have been given a free licence in Punjab", reported PTI.

Singh said the first prerequisite for development is good law and order and pointed to Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-governed states. "See how fast development is taking place there," he said. If the BJP comes to power in Punjab after the next assembly elections, "we will see who indulges in 'goondagardi'", he added.

The defence minister said India's prestige around the world has increased under the Modi government. When India speaks at international forums, the entire world listens to what it has to say, he said.

"Our economy reached the fifth spot from 11th and our country is poised to be among the world's top three economies in just a few years," he said. Pointing to the scrapping of Article 370, passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and a law against triple talaq, Singh said the BJP does what it promises.

(With inputs from PTI)