PATNA, 2 AUG

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming to have an "atom bomb of evidence of vote theft" against the Election Commission, and dared him to detonate the explosive.

Addressing a function organised by a media house in the state capital, Singh also likened the upcoming assembly polls to a crossroad, “with one path (under NDA) leading to further progress and another (under the INDIA bloc) taking Bihar back to its old era of lawlessness and caste strife”.

“Rahul Gandhi says he is in possession of an atom bomb. If it is so, he should detonate it at once. He should just ensure that he is himself out of harm’s way”, said the former BJP president, tongue in cheek.

Gandhi had on Friday claimed that his party has an "atom bomb" of evidence to prove "vote chori" by the Election Commission for the BJP, remarks that evoked a sharp response from the poll panel.

The commission termed Gandhi's remarks as "baseless and wild allegations".

Singh also said the nation remembers his past rhetoric.

"He had threatened Parliament with an earthquake, but when he spoke, it turned out to be a damp squib”.

The Union minister said the Election Commission of India is an institution that enjoys a reputation for unquestionable integrity.

"It is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the upcoming assembly polls in the state are held in a free and fair manner. It does not behove the Leader of the Opposition to make frivolous statements about a constitutional body," the BJP leader said.

He reminded the Congress leader that “his own party has blood on its hands, having tried to murder democracy in 1975 with the imposition of Emergency”.

The senior BJP leader also showered encomiums on alliance partner Nitish Kumar for helping the state turn the corner during his 20 years' rule in Bihar.

“Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, Bihar is no longer seen as a basket case. Even an internationally reputed magazine like The Economist, which had once condemned the state as the armpit of India, is now taking note of its turnaround," said Singh.

He also claimed that the state’s progress has received a further boost ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power 11 years ago, pointing out “the NDA government has extended an assistance of Rs 9 lakh crore to Bihar, so far, in contrast with the previous Congress-led UPA, which gave only two lakh crore in a decade”.

He added, “Modi has also made it clear that he sees a pivotal role for Bihar, and all eastern states, in making a Viksit Bharat”.

The BJP leader also recalled the dismal situation that prevailed in the state when “kidnapping for ransom had become a cottage industry and businessmen felt compelled to flee the state”.

“The state’s per capita income, which was 80 per cent of the national average at the time of Independence, had slumped to less than 30 per cent by the time the NDA took over in 2005”, the Union minister claimed.

“The coming elections are crucial. The state finds itself at a crossroads, with one path leading to a golden future and another leading back to the dismal past which it had left behind after much suffering”, Singh said.

He also spoke at length about the glorious history of Bihar, which is the land where Buddha got enlightened and where Lord Mahavira was born and spent much of his life.

“This is also the land which was the ancient seat of power, the Magadh kingdom. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the ancient history of India is much about Bihar”, Singh added.