Sacrifice Of Soldiers & Nationalism Key Elections Issues: PM Modi

New Delhi: In a joint interview to DD News and Rajya Sabha TV on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said sacrifices of soldiers and nationalism are key election issues, alike farmer deaths.

“In a country where thousands of its soldiers have been martyred, shouldn’t that be an election issue? If farmers die, then it is an election issue, but when soldiers die then it is not an election issue?” PM Modi said.

He also rejected the opposition criticism that he was using the defence forces in his campaign speeches for influencing voters. This started when PM he had urged first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the defence forces in the wake of the Pulwama attack and the Balakot air strike at a rally in Latur last week.

“If we don’t tell them what our views are on this, then what is the logic in that? …Can any country move ahead without the feeling of nationalism?” the Prime Minister said, branding those criticising his government “hyper-secular”.

PM Modi also took a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleging that he was raising the Rafale issue to “wash the sins of his father”, the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who faced investigations for the Bofors scandal.

“He has made the Rafale issue to wash the sins of his father. For the past six months, he has been making it an issue without any proof,” the Prime Minister said.

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