'In Politics, a Leader's Greatest Asset is Credibility': Rajnath Singh Hails PM Modi’s 'Clean' Rule, Contrasts it With Cong-Era Scams

Hyderabad, Telangana: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "clean" governance, asserting that credibility remains a leader's greatest asset in politics, while sharply criticising the Congress-led UPA regime for a string of massive corruption scandals.

Addressing the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sammelan' in Secunderabad, Singh emphasised that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken up the challenge of restoring public trust in Indian politics. 

"In politics, a leader's greatest asset is credibility," he said. He pointed to the recent developments in West Bengal, where he said the public delivered a "crushing blow" to those who betrayed their trust.

The Defence Minister highlighted Prime Minister Modi's firm stance against corruption from the very beginning of his tenure.

"Upon becoming Prime Minister, PM Modi made it clear that he would neither engage in corruption nor allow anyone else to do so," Singh remarked. 

In stark contrast, he recalled the frequent scams during the Congress government's rule, which he said caused losses amounting to lakhs of crores of rupees.

"During the Congress government's tenure, hardly a day went by without news of a scam," Singh stated, citing the Coal Scam, 2G Scam, and Commonwealth Games Scam as prominent examples.

Shifting focus to national security, Singh described India's defence modernisation as being at a critical juncture amid rapidly evolving global threats. He noted that modern warfare is being redefined by precision strike capabilities, integrated air defence systems, hypersonic weapons, autonomous platforms, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and advanced sensors.

"The world today is navigating a period marked by turmoil and uncertainty. The international order is undergoing a phase of tension and transformation. Old equations are shifting, and new alliances and challenges are taking shape," he observed.

In such an environment, Singh stressed that nations must prioritise "resilience and deterrence" to protect their security and interests. He expressed pride in the contributions of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), particularly programmes like 'Kusha' and institutions such as the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL)."

Organisations like DRDO are playing a pivotal role in providing us with this very resilience and deterrence," he said.

"In times of global turmoil, programs like 'Kusha' and institutions like DRDL instil confidence in the nation's people, assuring them that we will neither bow before external instability nor allow any shortcomings in our preparedness," the Defence Minister said.

The event saw Singh blending themes of political integrity with India's push towards self-reliance in defence, reinforcing the government's narrative of clean governance and strategic strength.