‘Congress should have welcomed Rafale’: Rajnath Singh on shastra puja row | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

‘Congress should have welcomed Rafale’: Rajnath Singh on shastra puja row

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByHT Correspondent
Oct 13, 2019 02:52 PM IST

Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge had criticised Rajnath Singh for performing shastra puja on the Rafale aircraft after he took delivery of the first of the 36 warplanes in France on October 8.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday attacked the Congress after Mallikarjun Kharge criticised him for performing shashtra puja (weapons worship) when he took delivery of the first Rafale aircraft in France on October 8.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said statements by Congress leaders criticising the government on the Rafale air craft only strengthened Pakistan.(ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said statements by Congress leaders criticising the government on the Rafale air craft only strengthened Pakistan.(ANI)

“I wrote ‘Om’ on fighter plane (Rafale) and tied a ‘raksha bandhan’ to it. Congress leaders started a controversy here...They should have welcomed that Rafale is coming here. Instead, they started criticising. Statements by Congress leaders only strengthen Pakistan,” Singh said at an election rally in Haryana’s Karnal without taking Kharge’s name, ANI reported.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The defence minister performed shastra puja at the Rafale aircraft’s induction ceremony in keeping with the Hindu tradition of warriors worshipping their weapons on Dussehra. October 8 is also the foundation day of the India Air Force.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had described Singh shastra puja as a “tamasha” (drama) and said that his party never did such a thing when it bought weapons.

“There is no need to do such ‘tamasha’. When we bought weapons — like the Bofors gun — no one went and brought them while showing off,” said Kharge.

Kharge’s comment also drew fire from the BJP. “For a party used to worshipping Quattrocchi, ‘shastra puja’ is naturally a problem,” the BJP said in a tweet referring to the Bofors bribery scandal.

Kharge had also upset another Congress leader - Sanjay Nirupam who said shastra puja cannot be called a tamasha. “There has been an old tradition of ‘shastra puja’ in our country. The problem is that Kharge Ji is an atheist. In the Congress party, not everyone is an atheist,” the leader from Maharashtra, said.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On