New Delhi: Asserting India has emerged as a strong nation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the world now listens to New Delhi attentively when it speaks at global platforms.


“India is no longer a weak country. It has emerged as strong country. Earlier, the world would not listen when India said something at global platforms,” said Singh in Colonelganj, Gonda.


“Today, the world listens to India attentively when it speaks,” he added ahead of the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, ANI reported.


Singh also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his statements on the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.


“It pains to see Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying in the Parliament that a large number of Indian soldiers and only three to four Chinese soldiers died in the (Galwan) clash,” said Singh.


“Despite being the Defence Minister, I didn’t reply because the Prime Minister said let people speak but we know the reality,” he added.


Escalating his attack on Gandhi, Singh said that the Congress leader should “at least study the history of modern India”.


“He (Rahul Gandhi) said that China and Pakistan became friends after Narendra Modi became the PM of India. He has not studied the history of ancient India, he should at least study the history of modern India,” he said.


“Jawaharlal Nehru was the PM when Pakistan handed over illegally-occupied territory of Shaksgam Valley to China. Indira Gandhi was the PM when Karakoram Highway was built in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Manmohan Singh, not Modi ji was the PM when construction on CPEC began,” he added.


The Defence Minister expressed confidence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conquering the throne of Lucknow yet again.


“Poll analysts and survey agencies have stated that in the first two phases, BJP is getting more or less the same number of seats it won in the last assembly elections,” he said.


Reaching out to the voters, Singh said the BJP will provide free LPG gas cylinder on the occasion of Holi and Diwali every year if voted to power in Uttar Pradesh again.


Voting for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly is being held in seven phases.


Earlier on February 14, over 61% polling was reported in the 55 assembly seats of Uttar Pradesh that voted in the second phase of the assembly elections.


The first phase of assembly elections for 58 assembly constituencies was held on February 10.


59 assembly seats will go to the polls in the third phase on February 20, while 60 seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on February 23.


Polling will be held on 60 assembly seats in the fifth phase on February 27, 57 seats in the sixth phase on March 3 and 54 seats in the seventh phase on March 7.


The counting of votes will be held on March 10.