Rathore questions opposition criticism

"I am here on instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to take back a progress report from the people, on our one-year rule. Everything about us has and will be transparent."

Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore at a press conference during his first visit to Hyderabad after assuming office. Also seen is Bharatiya Janata Party's Telangana state president G. Kishan Reddy. Photo: Nagara Gopal

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Thursday came down heavily on the Congress and others who criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government, saying they had no right to do so.

At a press conference during his first visit to Hyderabad after becoming a Minister, he went on to say that it was only because the Congress was bankrupt of ideas that they were clutching at straws and trying to misguide people. “Those who cannot understand development cannot point an accusing finger at us. People should also remember that we were working overtime for the past year, trying to undo the damage caused by the United Progressive Alliance in the past decade,” he added.

“I am here on instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to take back a progress report from the people, on our one-year rule. Everything about us has and will be transparent. The faith that people reposed in us is evident from the thumping mandate we got and we will not misplace that trust. In two scams, the allocation of coal blocks and spectrum, we got back more of public money - Rs.3 lakh crore and Rs.1 lakh crore, respectively. This is just the beginning,” he stated confidently.

The I & B Minister rambled on, recalling how Mr. Modi’s foreign policy and his visits to several countries had created an environment never-before-seen and how it had taken India’s image up several notches in the comity of nations. “We are taking steps that are visible on the ground,” he said, citing the example of how in just seven months of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana had resulted in given bank access to a whopping 15 crore people who were marjinalised all these decades.

Asked about his response to senior Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy’s comments on Wednesday, about the way Mr. Modi’s ‘pushy’ nature was making his Cabinet Ministers look like dummies, the ace shooter and ex-serviceman pushed his chest out and quipped, “Tell me, do I look like a dummy to you,” before signing off.