Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the country would face a setback of 50 years if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not voted back to power. Sitharaman, who was addressing an event in Bengaluru, said: “If we are laid back and lose a strong majority government, we will be facing a setback of 50 years at least.”
She added that India would be disfavouring first-time voters if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not recognised for its work. And for those of us who were born in the 20th century, we will be doing a disservice to those who will be voting for the first time. The minister also praised Modi, saying: “In the history of any nation, it’s not very often that you get a leadership like what you have got now.”