Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Singh of creating hatred among people in order to regain power, and alleged that he was tarnishing India's image on international platforms.
Addressing a programme organised by the Madhya Pradesh government to provide land rights of residential plots to the poor in Singrauli district of the state located around 650 kms from here, Singh asked Gandhi not to play with India's "prestige and pride".
The minister also said that in the recent clash with the Chinese troops, Indian soldiers did a "charismatic job" and displayed bravery, and slammed the Congress for questioning the valour of the country's jawans.
"Is India breaking? The country already got divided in 1947. Pakistan was created, though the leaders at that time were not in favour These days, Rahul Gandhi is going around saying in his Bharat Jodo Yatra that there is hatred everywhere in India," he said.
"Rahulji, what has happened to you? You want to regain power by creating hatred. Power cannot be achieved by creating hatred, it can be achieved only by earning the public's trust and love."
"I want to ask him who is creating hatred in India? Is Modiji creating hatred in the whole country? Is (MP Chief Minister) Shivraj Singh (Chouhan) doing the work of creating hatred in Madhya Pradesh? Are these leaders creating hatred among people? Where did he see it," he asked the gathering.
The minister also accused the Congress of trying to defame India and tarnish its image by saying that only hatred prevails in India, although the country has earned great respect in the world now.
India is the only country that considers all the people of the world as its family. India is being maligned that there is only hatred in India, he alleged.
India has never discriminated on the basis of caste, creed or religion as those born on Indian soil are brothers as all have sacrificed their lives for the country's independence, he added.
"I humbly want to say to Rahulji, don't spoil the image of India in the world by talking about hatred. You are creating hate by talking about it. You create hatred towards Modi and BJP by going to the people. The whole world is getting the image that there is only hatred in India," he said.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi's remark that he is out to sell love in the market of hatred, Singh asked the gathering, "Have you also got some love from him? Now what does he know about love?"
He said that Rahul Gandhi and Congress members should keep in mind that politics should not be done just to form the government and it should be done for the society and the country.
"Rahulji, don't play with India's prestige and pride. India is moving forward, if you can cooperate then do it, if you can't, then sit silently, don't try to defame India in the international arena," he said.
Singh also said that Congress leaders can defame the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but they dared to question the bravery and valour of the country's army and soldiers who risked their lives to protect the country.
"Being the country's defence minister, I don't want to speak openly. But I wanted to make it clear that whatever war has happened this time, be it between India-China, the bravery that our army soldiers have exhibited, if I discuss it in front of anyone, then everyone will boast, they have done a charismatic job," Singh said.
Last month, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that China was preparing for war and the Indian government was sleeping over it and trying to ignore the threat. He had also alleged that China had taken away 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory, killed 20 Indian soldiers and was "thrashing our jawans in Arunachal Pradesh".
Singh said that India's economy has made a place among top five economies in the country during the past eight years.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh and MP CM Chouhan distributed free plots under CM Land Rights Scheme to over 25,000 beneficiaries besides disbursing the benefits of Rs 135 crore to 6.78 lakh farmers under the CM Kisan Kalyan Yojana.
Bhopal, Jan. 22 (PTI)