The Home Minister said that the verification of a French media report, which quoted former French President Francois Hollande on the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets, will reveal the truth. (File) The Home Minister said that the verification of a French media report, which quoted former French President Francois Hollande on the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets, will reveal the truth. (File) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a day-long visit to the state on Saturday, advised Congress president Rahul Gandhi to not make allegations against the government on the Rafale issue without concrete proof. The Home Minister, who was here to attend a meeting of the co-operative societies, said that the verification of a French media report, which quoted former French President Francois Hollande on the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets, will reveal the truth. Hollande was quoted in a French media report as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice. “Yesterday (Friday) itself the Defence ministry issued a statement and they have said that the entire issue is being verified, which will give a clearer picture of the situation. One should think before making any allegations and should not make such baseless allegations without any proof,” the Home Minister said. On Rahul Gandhi calling the Defence minister a liar, Singh said, “In politics, even when someone is giving an opinion they should show restraint in the use of word and language. We would never use such words for anybody.” Reacting to the recent killing of BSF personnel by Pakistan Army, Singh said, “All required measures will be taken to protect and preserve the self-respect of our country. In the past, we have taken necessary measures and we will continue to do so in the future.” However, he refused to comment if India is planning another surgical strike. Singh also refuted claims that defence personnel in Jammu and Kashmir were resigning in the wake of cross-border attacks. “All these reports about defense personnel resigning are baseless. I can say that there is a laudable coordination between armymen, CRPF jawans and policemen posted in Jammu and Kashmir in the way they perform their duties. Our primary aim is bring the entire situation under control,” he said. Singh further said that for India and Pakistan to have a dialogue, Pakistan will have to end terrorism. “Terrorism and dialogue can not go hand-in-hand. Pakistan will have to end terrorism to re-initiate dialogues between the two countries. We are working towards wiping out terrorism,” Singh said. On Friday, India called off the meeting between the external affairs ministers of both the nations, citing the brutal killing of three Jammu and Kashmir policemen and the release of postal stamps glorifying Burhan Wani. During his visit to the state, Singh visited Amreli and Vadodara. In Amreli he attended a meeting of the cooperative societies sector. Upon his arrival in Vadodara, Singh was felicitated by the Rajput community, after which he visited a Ganesh pandal and offered prayers along with Samarjitsinh Gaekwad. Later in the day, Singh addressed a meeting of BJP workers from the city. “You should always be devoted to work and be on the donating side than the receiving side. Be modest in whatever you do. These are no mere advises, these are advises which I have followed all my life,” Singh said. For all the latest Ahmedabad News, download Indian Express App

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