New Delhi:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been facing some criticism for his 'Shastra Puja' in France. On October 8, Singh received the first of the French-made Rafale fighter jets at the Merignac airbase near the city of Bordeaux in France. Keeping the tradition of performing "shastra pooja" (weapon worship) on every Dussehra, Singh performed the ritual with the Rafale jet in France. The ritual has invited much attention, with opposition hitting out at Rajnath Singh.
However, Rajnath Singh has found support from unexpected quarters. Pakistan Army spokesperson Asif Ghafoor on Thursday defended Singh saying, "Nothing wrong in Rafale Puja as it goes by the religion."
"Nothing wrong in #RafalePuja as it goes by the religion and that must be respected. Please, remember... it’s not the machine alone which matters but competence, passion & resolve of the men handling that machine. Proud of our PAF Shaheens," tweeted Asif Ghafoor on Thursday.
Nothing wrong in #RafalePuja as it goes by the religion and that must be respected.
— Asif Ghafoor (@peaceforchange) October 10, 2019
Please remember....it’s not the machine alone which matters but competence, passion & resolve of the men handling that machine.
Proud of our PAF Shaheens.#PAFtheMenAtTheirBest
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had called Rajnath's Shastra Puja a 'tamasha' while NCP leader Sharad Pawar also mocked it. However, others have defended Rajnath's gesture. Singh, who arrived in Delhi from France on Thursday night, responded to opposition's criticism saying he did what he thought was right anwill continue to do so.
"This is our faith, that there is a superpower and I have believed it since childhood," he said.
"People from all religions have the right to pray according to their beliefs. I would not have objected if someone else had done the same. I feel there must have been a difference of opinion over the issue in Congress as well, it would not have been everybody's opinion," he said.
