No compromise with country's honour: Rajnath

Lucknow, Oct 10: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said in spite of all the efforts of the Narendra Modi-led government to improve relations with Pakistan, there has been no reciprocation from Islamabad and stressed that there will be "no compromise with the honour of the country".

"Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say, neighbours cannot be changed and all out efforts should be made to improve ties with them," he told a BJP workers' meeting here.

"(In response to efforts to improve relations) Kargil was committed...our Prime Minister Narendra Modi made every effort, invited the heads of all the neighbouring countries at his swearing-in ceremony...(the leader) of Pakistan also came...we made all the efforts to improve relations," Singh, who visited his Parliamentary constituency for the first time since the army's surgical strikes in PoK, said.

"But, Pakistan had not wanted it (improvement in relations). What happened afterwards, how our jawans were attacked in a cowardly manner by terrorists and sacrificed...(but) have faith (in us)...you have seen that our government is not weak," he said.

Referring to his recent visit to the border areas of Jaisalmer amd Barmer in Rajasthan, Singh said, "I have clearly told the jawans that the first bullet should not be fired from our side, but if it is done from their (Pakistan's) side, what has to be done, you have read in the newspapers...there will be no compromise on the issue of the country's honour."

Citing various welfare schemes of the Modi government, the Union Home Minister said now, with the help of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the grant reached the bank accounts of the beneficiaries directly.

"You will be surprised to know that Rs 3,000 crore have been saved through this," he said, adding that Rs 61,000 crore have reached the accounts of the beneficiaries through DBT.

Singh claimed that no one could level corruption charges against the Modi government and not even unfounded allegations in this regard had appeared in the media in the last two-and-a-half years. "Can anyone reject this truth that the honour and respect of the country has been upheld (by the Modi government)?", he asked the gathering.

Singh claimed that on the economic front, the country had taken "great strides" and today, it was the "fastest growing economy" and will soon be the only country in the world whose GDP will be in "double figures".

"India has foreign exchange deposits worth USD 371 billion...the entire world acknowledges that the most-favoured country for investment is India...even China and the US have not attracted as much investment as us," he added.

PTI