Rewari, September 15
Virtually sounding the poll bugle, Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today said the country needed a strong regime at Delhi to ensure national security and keep its neighbours in check.

Addressing a massive rally dedicated to former defence personnel, he said though the armed forces were fully capable, India’s neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and China, kept on making incursions into our territory due to the weakness of the Union Government.

“The problem is not at the border, it’s in Delhi. And let me tell you, a solution to this will also emerge from Delhi itself,” he said amidst a thunderous applause. Buoyed by the crowd’s response, Modi maintained that the people wanted to change the weak regime and a clarion call for change, emanating from the soil of Haryana, would challenge the Delhi sultanate.

Having launched a guarded attack on the Centre; accusing Pakistan of waging a proxy war against India and China of nurturing designs to stop Brahmputra waters and wresting Arunachal Pradesh, Modi suddenly changed gears.

Much to the surprise of the crowd, the firebrand leader donned a soft mantle and observed “be it Pakistan, Bangladesh or India, all of us need to launch a war against poverty and illiteracy…”

Treading the path of terror for the past 60 years had done no good to Pakistan, and if it gave peace a chance and stopped propagating terrorism for the next 10 years, it would witness unprecedented development and prosperity, Modi said.

Striking an emotional chord with former defence personnel, the Gujarat CM said he wanted to study in a sainik school, but could not do so as his family was not in a position to bear the expenses. “When I was in Class VI or VII, the 1962 war started. I used to go to a railway station and serve the soldiers waiting for trains there,” he said.

Modi also sought a White Paper from the Union Government on the status of action on ex-servicemen’s long-standing demand of “one rank, one pension”.

He congratulated former Army officer and ace shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who was present on the occasion, for bringing laurels to the country by winning an Olympic medal. He, however, chose not to mention the name of former Army Chief Gen VK Singh, who was also present on the occasion. Nor did he refer to Kuldeep Bishnoi, the president of BJP’s alliance partner in the state, the Haryana Janhit Congress, though he recalled his association with late Haryana leaders Ch Devi Lal and Ch Bansi Lal.

Troubled frontiers

Though the armed forces are fully capable, India’s neighbours, including Pakistan and China, keep on making incursions into our territory due to the weakness of the Union Government

His forecast

The people want to change the weak regime (at the Centre) and a clarion call for change, emanating from the soil of Haryana, will challenge the Delhi sultanate

Lesson to Pak