Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman has appealed to people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in the forthcoming elections to Lok Sabha as the BJP alone can provide a stable and secure government at the Centre.
She exhorted the party leaders and cadre to educate people about the three Ds — strong Defence, all round Development and struggle against Dynastic (family) rule — where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government made significant strides in its first tenure. This apart, the government had addressed core issues like problems relating to the farm sector where minimum support price was extended to 22 crops rather than two of the previous governments.
Ms. Sitaraman was addressing a meeting of party workers from Hyderabad and Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituencies here on Sunday. She said the previous UPA-government headed by the Congress had misused available resources resulting in inflation and price rise.
These issues were however addressed to a large extent by the Modi government which took decisions with foresightedness.
Left wing extremism
The government managed to bring down the number of districts affected by the Left Wing Extremism to less than 50 against the 160 during the previous government. Impact of cross border terrorism would have reduced to a considerable extent had the then government taken steps immediately after the 2008 Mumbai blasts, but it did not do so. “The surgical strikes and other steps initiated by the government made sure that no government gave better defence to the country than the Modi government,” she asserted.
Moreover, the coming elections are not confined to a particular State. This is an opportunity to re-elect the government run by selfless leaders like the Prime Minister in whose hands the country will be secure, she said.
Silent wave
Former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the BJP was sure to win five to six seats in the State as there was a silent wave in favour of Mr. Modi.
BJP State president K. Laxman, party candidate from Secunderabad constituency G. Kishan Reddy and others spoke.