"Congress let go of Kartarpur Sahib during Partition in a hurry to gain power": Rajnath Singh

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 25 : Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday accused the Congress of letting go of Kartarpur Sahib to Pakistan during the country's partition after Independence.
"When the country got independence, the line of partition was drawn on the chest of Punjab. At the time of partition, Congress leaders were in such a hurry to gain power that they let go of Shri Kartarpur Sahib. Our Prime Minister has constructed the Kartarput Sahib Corridor," he said.
Lambasting the Congress, the Defence Minister said, "The Congress which has inflicted the biggest blow on democracy, that Congress is saying that democracy is being strangled in the country under the leadership of Modi ji. If democracy has ended in the country then how did you win elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan?"
Rajnath Singh was speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) public outreach 'Sampark Se Samarthan' here, to mark the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
Speaking on Kartarpur Sahib, Rajnath Singh said, "If anyone has understood this pain for the first time, it was only Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Because of his efforts, Kartarpur Sahib has been reconnected with Punjab. People know better what BJP government has done in these nine years."
On law and order in Punjab, the Defence Minister said that there existed a good coordination between the Centre and the state during the times of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
"As far as Punjab is concerned, development here has been the BJP's top priority. Punjab is a border state and when Captain Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister, there was good coordination in matters related to security. Whenever there is a law and order issue it is a major concern for us. Everyone knows about the present government of Punjab," he added.
Lauding the Sikh community for their patriotism, Rajnath Singh said, "I am the Defense Minister of the country and I am well aware of Punjab and Punjabiyat. When it comes to the security of the country, the people of Punjab, especially the people of the Sikh community, forget all grievances and stand together. They are one of the most patriotic and brave societies in the world."
This area of Chandigarh lies at the tri-junction of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. These three states, together make the biggest contribution to the Indian Army.
Remembering the Sikh patriarch Parkash Singh Badal who had formed an alliance with the BJP, Rajnath Singh said, "Whichever party is included in the NDA or even separated, there was never any distance from the heart. Today, I am missing Parkash Singh Badal, one of the tallest leaders of not only Punjab but of the country. I pay my respects to him."
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's international stature, Rajnath Sindh said, "Prime Minister Modi is called Boss by the Prime Minister of Australia. The President of America wants his autograph, and the President of Papua New Guinea touches his feet. This is an expression of how the world respects him."