Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019, Modi said people had seen the “effect of India’s foreign policy” in the recent developments, and said this unity among Indians “had instilled a fear among anti-nationals both inside and outside the country”

In the backdrop of the recent air-strikes by the Indian Air Force inside Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said if the country had Rafale, the results could have been different.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019, Modi also said people had seen the “effect of India’s foreign policy” in the recent developments, and said this unity among Indians “had instilled a fear among anti-nationals both inside and outside the country”.

Modi said the country was asking in one voice why there was no Rafale. “India is feeling the absence of Rafale. The entire country is saying in one voice today, if we had Rafale probably the result would have been different. The country has suffered a lot due to selfish interests earlier and now politics over Rafale. I clearly ask them (the Opposition) to oppose Modi, point out loopholes in our schemes and criticise the government on the results of its schemes, but do not oppose the security interests of the country,” the PM said.

“Aap yeh dhyan rakhiye ki Modi virodh ki iss zid mein Masood Azhar aur Hafiz Saeed jaise aatankiyon ko, aatank ke sarparasthon ko sahara na mil jaye. Woh aur majboot na ho jayen (Bear in mind that in this stubbornness to oppose Modi, terrorists and terror patrons like Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed don’t gain).”

Today’s India is a New India and a changed India, Modi said, adding that while the blood of every soldier was “anmol (valuable)” for him, the previous governments had done little in the wake of people and soldiers being killed. “Aaj ka naya Bharat nidar hai, nirbhik hai aur nirnayak hai (Today’s new India is fearless and decisive)”, moving ahead on the ability and trust of 125 crore Indians. “This unity of Indians has instilled a sense of fear among some desh-virodhi (anti-national) people both inside and outside the country. I am saying both inside and outside.”

Counting fugitives, the corrupt, and big leaders among this, Modi added, “Aaj jo yeh vatavaran bana hai, main yahi kahunga, yeh darr achha hai. Jab dushman mein Bharat ke parakram ka darr ho to yeh darr achha hai, jab aatank ke aakaon me sainikon ke shaurya ka darr ho to yeh darr achha hai (About this atmosphere, I will say, this fear is good. When enemies fear India’s valour and patrons of terror have fear of gallantry of our soliders, the fear is good).”

He went on, “Now no one dares challenge India. Our government is committed to taking every decision in national interest. India is moving ahead with a new policy and practices and the entire world has started recognising India.”

Taking on the Opposition, Modi said, “It surprises me that at a time when the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with our Army, some people are doubting the Army itself. On one side, the entire world is supporting India in the fight against terror, on the other side, some parties are showing doubts. They are the same people whose statements and write-ups are being used as evidence against India in Pakistan’s Parliament, radio and TV channels. From opposing Modi, they have started opposing the country and causing harm to the nation.”

He said he wanted to ask such people: “Do you have trust or do you doubt the ability of our Army. Do you rely on the statements of our Army or do you believe those promoting terror on our land?” Modi urged them to “stop playing with the security of the country” and “weakening the nation for their own political benefits and to fulfil their intellectual arrogance”.

Modi further said that those who had ruled the nation for many years were interested in only two things — “doles and deals”. And that the biggest sufferer of this approach were soldiers and farmers. Citing defence “scams”, he said, “They began with jeeps and graduated to weapons, submarines, helicopters. In the process the defence sector suffered.”

“Who is every deal maker close to? Who is every middleman close to? The entire nation knows and Lutyens Delhi surely knows,” Modi added.

On farmers, the PM said the previous governments believed in just giving out doles. “These were given so that the poor remain poor and at the mercy of the political class… No economist or policy expert will ever say farm loan waivers can solve our agrarian issues… Every 10 years, the UPA came out with a farm loan waiver idea.”

On the contrary, Modi said, his government’s approach was different. “No dole or deal, only good deed,” he said, highlighting the newly launched PM-KISAN scheme,

Reacting to the PM’s charges, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Dear PM, Have you no shame at all?… YOU are solely responsible for the delay in the arrival of the RAFALE jets. YOU are WHY brave IAF pilots like Wing Cdr. Abhinandan, are risking their lives flying outdated jets.”

He also repeated his allegations against benefits to Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal.