Shimla, May 28
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said people must vote for BJP so that India gets a strong and decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third term amidst the ongoing conflict.
“The next four-five years are very difficult times globally and in such times we need a PM who has the standing and prestige of being a strong leader, whose statesmanship is acknowledged worldwide,” he said during a media interaction on “Viksit Bharat” here today. He added that the world is in a very tense situation with conflicts erupting at several places.
He said apart from the issues on the Indian borders, the ongoing conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza-Iran makes it even more imperative to vote for a strong leadership as the conflict is unlikely to end anytime soon. He categorically said that ever since Modi became the PM, India has shown to the world that India will no longer take things lying low, be it China or Pakistan.
“The budget spending along the border with China has been enhanced from Rs 3000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore, apart from strengthening logistics and enhancing deployment,” he stated. Admitting the strengthening of infrastructure by China along the borders, he said India too has launched the Vibrant Village project for strengthening roads, bridges and communication along the border villages.
He said India has made it amply clear that there is bound to be 100 reactions from India in case Pakistan continues sponsoring terrorism. “If Pakistan wants relations to normalise, they will have to stop infiltration and sponsoring terrorism,” he said. He emphasised the need for enhancing manufacturing to strengthen infrastructure, which will in turn help reduce dependence on China.
He also defended the Agniveer recruitment scheme in the Army and assured that the NDA regime remains committed to protecting the interest of apple growers, who have been demanding enhancement of import duty on apple.
“Dalai Lama has been in India since 1959. We did not call him so, his presence here in India is not something new. Let them (China) get used to this fact,” said Jaishankar on the issue of the presence of the Tibetan spiritual leader being an irritant in India-China relations. We have great respect for the Dalai Lama and his commitment to the Tibetan cause, so it is a matter we leave to him, he added. He said India is a country that respects all religions and faiths, and that is our tradition.
