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Updated: Feb 18, 2019 17:36 IST

Asserting that the BJP-led government would not let the sacrifices of jawans go in vain, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday said no political leader in the world has Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political will to tackle terrorism.

Addressing party workers here after the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed, he said the Army would give a fitting reply and only Modi could provide the strong government the country needs.

“We should all be proud that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government which has come up with the largest defence budget since independence,” he said at the Suraj Maidan here, kicking off his party’s election preparation in Rajasthan. Shah said the BJP has worked to further strengthen and modernise the army. The BJP government, he added, has started giving terrorists a befitting reply and has achieved success. “The entire country is today standing rock solid with the families of martyrs. The Modi-led BJP government will not let their sacrifice go in vain. A befitting reply for the martyrdom of jawans will be given by the Army,” Shah said. He said the BJP has zero tolerance policy towards terrorism and “no leader in the world has political will like Modi to tackle terrorism”. “The country needs a strong government and nobody can give it except Narendra Modi. There is no leader in (the opposition) alliance. Dealers will run the government and not leaders,” he said.

Asking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to announce the name of the leader of the opposition alliance, Shah said the grand alliance was moving forward only on the slogan of “Modi hatao”. The BJP has its government in 16 states and the party’s expansion has taken place in new areas, he said, adding that the BJP has won in the north and north-east. “Now, BJP flag will also flutter in West Bengal and Odisha,” he added. The BJP, he said, doesn’t get disappointed by defeat or arrogant in victory and is in politics only to serve the people, he added. The 2019 general elections are important for the BJP as well as for India because on the one hand is a party to work for the welfare of the poor and, on the other, is a party only aiming to get into power, Shah said.

Shah highlighted various developmental and public welfare works done by the Centre. Hitting out at the Congress, Shah said the party’s desperation was evident after the budget but it got deeper with the extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter scam.

All accused in AgustaWestland chopper scam were in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, he added.

“With what face will Congress face the people of the country after committing scams and corruption of Rs 12 lakh crore in 10 years of its rule,” he said, adding that there were no allegations of corruption against the BJP-led Centre. Taking a dig at the Ashok Gehlot government in the state, Shah said development works in the state have stopped due to the tussle between the chief minister and his deputy Sachin Pilot. The defence budget was increased by 6.87 per cent to Rs 3.18 lakh crore against last year’s allocation of Rs 2.98 lakh crore.

Presenting the interim budget for 2019-20 in Parliament, Union minister Piyush Goyal said additional funds, if necessary, would be provided to secure India’s borders and maintain its defence preparedness.