Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused the opposition parties on Wednesday of slandering Prime Minister Narendra Modi and trying to bring in a communal angle whenever the Centre talks about implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country.

Singh also said Modi has taken a statement made by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on corruption as a challenge and worked towards doing away with the menace from the country.

At the same time, Singh said he is not criticising Rajiv Gandhi because a prime minister is not just a person but an institution and should be respected irrespective of the party he belongs to.

Modi made a strong push for a UCC on Tuesday, asking how can the country function with dual laws that govern personal matters, and accused the opposition of using the issue to “mislead and provoke” Muslims.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have hit out at the prime minister on the issue. In a veiled reference to Modi’s push for a UCC ahead of a string of Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said his party will not allow the BJP to divert attention from public issues.

Addressing a public rally in this Rajasthan district on the completion of nine years of the Modi government, Rajnath Singh said politics should not be done by dividing the society, but should be done by taking the society and country together.

“What we are going to do is what the makers of the Constitution have written in the Constitution … in the directive principles. We are going to implement it, we are going to fulfil their promise. Why are we being accused?” he asked.

“Was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru not there in the constituent assembly? Were Vallabhbhai Patel and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar not there? Why is Modi being slandered?” he asked.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also said, “I can say with conviction that it will not be allowed in the country that someone will have the freedom to marry as many times as he wants.”

Singh said the central government is committed to safeguarding the honour of women.

“What wrong are we doing? We are giving respect to women. We have said it in our manifestos too. Why is it being opposed? Efforts are being made to give a communal colour to everything. We will not let the country run like this,” he said.

“Respect for women is our commitment irrespective of caste, creed and religion. No one can get away by indulging in the practice of ‘teen talaq’,” he added.

The defence minister also said India was earlier looked upon as “weak” and the “land of poor”, while asserting that when the country speaks on international platforms now, people listen to it.

He said in the nine years of the Modi government, no one could level corruption charges against any minister.

“I want to remind you that Rajiv Gandhi had once honestly said that he sends 100 paisa, but only 15 paisa reach the beneficiaries and the rest fall prey to corruption,” he said.

Singh clarified that he was not criticising Rajiv Gandhi.

“I do not criticise any prime minister, because a prime minister is not just a person but an institution. Irrespective of the party he belongs to, he should be respected,” he said.

The veteran leader said corruption cannot be eradicated by mere speeches.

“Eradicating corruption from the country is a challenge, but the prime minister has worked in that direction,” he said.

Singh said the BJP’s political rivals used to question the party’s promise made during elections regarding revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and pointed out that after securing a majority in both houses of Parliament, the party abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. He also added that a magnificent Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya.

The minister said he does not indulge in the politics of Hindu-Muslim.

He said it was India that gave the message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the entire world is one family) to the world.

Singh said India is progressing at a fast pace in every sector and the world listens to it on a global platform.

He said the respect the prime minister commands globally is the respect earned by every Indian and they should be proud of it.

Rajnath Singh said US President Joe Biden told Modi that he is popular at a global level and wished to take his autograph, the prime minister of Papua New Guinea bent down to touch Modi’s feet, while the Australian prime minister said Modi is the boss.

The Union minister said the public welfare schemes introduced by the Modi government were not a favour to people and asserted that it was the duty of the government.

“You gave us love, we also had to give something in return for your love,” he said.

Singh said in the defence sector, India is manufacturing arms and other equipment and has achieved exports worth Rs 16,000 crore. He said the government’s target is to increase the exports to Rs 40,000 crore in the coming years.

He said the prime minister spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding a safe passage for the Indian students trapped in the region due to a war involving the two countries and pointed out that the war was stopped for four hours and a half and 27,000 students were evacuated.

Singh said there is a crisis of credibility due to the difference between the words and actions of political leaders in the country, but the BJP has taken it as a challenge and will put an end to it.

“We will do what we say, that is our character,” he said.

Targeting the Congress government in Rajasthan, Rajnath Singh alleged that in the election year, it is giving “bakshish” to people.

He also slammed the state government over the brutal killing of a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, in Udaipur on this day last year.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Leader of Opposition Satish Poonia and other BJP leaders were present at the rally.