Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said former Pakistan minister Fawad Hussain, who stated that terrorists of his country were behind the Pulwama and Uri attacks, was praising Rahul Gandhi, and sought to know whether such a leader, who was being hailed by an "enemy", should be "allowed" to form a government.
Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Bokaro, he said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was, is and would always remain India's.
"Ex-Pakistan minister Fawad Hussain has said that Pakistani terrorists were behind the Pulwama and Uri attacks. Same Fawad Hussain does not praise PM Modi but he is praising Rahul Gandhi with comments such as 'Rahul on Fire'. I want to ask you whether such a leader who is praised by enemies should be respected. Should he be allowed to form the government? Which direction they want to take the country? I appeal to you to save the country," Singh said.
Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, who was a minister in the Imran Khan government in Pakistan, had shared a video featuring Rahul Gandhi on X with the caption, "Rahul on fire..."
"Corruption peaked in Jharkhand under the JMM-led government and without the CM's patronage it wasn't possible," he said, targetting former chief minister Hemant Soren, and appealed to people to show "exit doors" to the ruling coalition in the state.