Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mocked Rahul Gandhi’s claim of having an “atom bomb” of evidence alleging vote theft in Bihar, urging him to make it public.
Singh defended the Election Commission, calling it a respected constitutional body committed to free and fair elections.
He contrasted the NDA’s development record with the INDIA bloc’s “era of lawlessness” and praised Nitish Kumar’s role in Bihar’s turnaround.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for alleging that the Election Commission was involved in "vote theft" in Bihar, calling on him to substantiate his claims with evidence.
Speaking at a media event in Patna, Singh took aim at Gandhi’s remark that he possessed an “atom bomb” of evidence that would expose electoral malpractice. “If he truly has an atom bomb, he should detonate it, but make sure he is out of harm’s way,” Singh said, with a touch of sarcasm.
According to PTI, the senior BJP leader went on to recall Gandhi’s past statements, saying, “He once threatened Parliament with an earthquake. But when he spoke, it was nothing of the sort.”
Singh said the Election Commission of India was a constitutional institution with a long-standing reputation for impartiality. “It is doing everything possible to ensure free and fair elections in Bihar. It does not behove the Leader of the Opposition to make such frivolous allegations,” he added.
The Defence Minister also referred to the Emergency imposed by the Congress government in 1975, stating that the party “has blood on its hands, having attempted to murder democracy”.
Drawing a contrast between the ruling NDA and the INDIA bloc ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, Singh described the political choice before voters as a crossroads. “One path, under the NDA, leads to continued progress. The other, under the INDIA bloc, takes Bihar back to an era of lawlessness and caste conflict,” he said.
Singh also praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s two-decade tenure in the state, crediting him for Bihar’s turnaround. As reported by PTI, he noted that even international publications had changed their view of the state. “The Economist, which once called Bihar the armpit of India, is now recognising the state’s progress,” Singh said.
