Gehlot attacks Modi over his address on ASAT missile test

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for keeping the country on tenterhooks over the anti-satellite missile test announcement and ending up with an address that the Congress leader described as "much ado about nothing".

India shot down one of its satellites in space on Wednesday with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon.

The announcement could have been made by the scientists themselves, Gehlot said.

He said the entire country waited for 40 minutes "in fear" after the prime minister announced that he wanted to give a message to the nation.

"People waited and later realised that it was much ado about nothing (khoda pahad nikli chuhiya). People were aback for being kept waiting for so long. People were in panic whether there is going to be another demonetisation," Gehlot told reporters at a press conference here Saturday.

He said it took 35-40 years for establishing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) but they (prime minister) try to present things in such a manner that everything including 100 satellites which were successfully test fired and the recent achievement of anti-satellite missile test were being done after he became prime minister.

"They present things in such a manner that they were the achievements of their five years of being in power . But, they are getting exposed. They are in delusion that they are going to form the government, which is not possible," he said.

He said the prime minister and people in the BJP were upset after Congress president Rahul Gandhi announced the minimum income scheme (Nyay) after which they have sharpened their attack and are giving "misleading" statements.

"It is not rhetoric (Jumla) like the BJP made to deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of people. There is no difference in words and deeds of the Congress but they try to mislead people through rhetoric. NYAY will be a key issue of Congress manifesto," he said.

Gehlot said that implementation of NYAY scheme will increase purchasing power of the poor. It will increase activity in the market and move the wheel of demand and supply, he claimed.

He said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are important for "saving democracy" in the country.

Replying to a question on ticket denial to veteran BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Gehlot said that the people in the BJP were on the path to make Congress-free India but they forgot and are now making BJP free of Advani and Joshi.

"Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi should leave the party for ticket denial as the BJP wants to give a message for Hindutva in the country," he said.