If he's really concerned, Rahul should have appointed SC, ST or minority person as LoP: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should have made someone from the SC, ST or minority communities the leader of opposition of Lok Sabha if he is really concerned about them.

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Rohtas and Kaimur districts, Singh dismissed Gandhi's allegation of 'vote chori' as ''baseless'', and said he should approach the Election Commission if he has a complaint with evidence.

''If Rahul Gandhi is really concerned about Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or minority communities, he should have given the post of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha to someone from these communities,'' Singh said.

Gandhi became the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha after the 2024 polls.

''If Rahul Gandhi thinks that votes are being stolen in Bihar, he should file a complaint with the EC. He is not doing that; he is simply levelling baseless allegations against a constitutional body. He is simply lying,'' he alleged.

Singh alleged that Congress creates rift among the people over caste, creed and religion, as it believes in ''divisive politics''.

''Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue of reservation in the defence forces. Our defence forces are above all these. He should not drag them into politics,'' he said.

''BJP supports reservations. We have given reservations to the poor and other eligible sections of the society,'' he added.

Hailing the armed forces for their success in Operation Sindoor, Singh said it has been ''halted and not stopped''.

''If terrorists attempt to attack India again, we will retaliate strongly. India does not provoke anyone, but if anyone provokes us, we will not spare them,'' he said.

''India is no longer a weak country. We are now known as a powerful country in the world,'' he added.