Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh (born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was appointed as the Defence Minister of India on 26 May 2015. He previously served as Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh from 28 October 2000 to 8 March 2002.

Quotes

• We must uphold traditional social values, which do not permit this kind of vulgar display of beauty. I will just not allow any beauty contest to be held in this state.
  • On banning beauty pageants, as quoted in "Home State of Miss World Bars Beauty Pageants" Los Angeles Times (16 December 2000)

• First, westernisation of Indian youth should stop. The projection of Indian girls as Miss Universe or Miss World is a deep-rooted conspiracy to promote cosmetics in countries like India. Nudity and obscenity cannot be parameters for determining beauty.
  • On banning beauty pageants, as quoted in "Westernisation of Indian youth should stop" India Today (1 January 2001)

• The RSS is the largest social and cultural organisation in the country and an aggressively patriotic organisation. The terrorists' bid is an attempt to attack the symbol of nationalism in the country's social life. It is also aimed at frightening the country's majority community, which is commendable.
  • After an attempted terrorist attack on a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office, "Police foil terrorist attack on RSS HQ" The Economic Times (2 June 2006)

• We will state (at an all-party meeting if it is called) that we support Section 377 because we believe that homosexuality is an unnatural act and cannot be supported.
  • On homosexuality, as quoted in "BJP comes out, vows to oppose homosexuality", The Telegraph (India) (14 December 2013)

• Many times our media is confused. They say an US observatory has informed us about lunar and solar eclipse on a particular date. Don’t look at an observatory, ask any pandit next to you. They will open the 'Panchang' and tell you the dates of eclipses 100 year ago and 100 years hence.
  • On Panchangs, as quoted in "Why US observatories, ask pandits to predict eclipse dates: Rajnath Singh", Hindustan Times (20 January 2015)

• Mughal rulers understood that by killing cows and giving their open support to cow slaughter, they cannot rule for a long period. Even Babur, in his will, has written we can’t do two things at one time. Either rule the hearts of people or eat cow’s meat.
  • On protecting cows, as quoted in "Even Mughals did not support cow slaughter: Rajnath Singh", Hindustan Times (8 August 2015)

• There is no other language which provides answers to complex philosophical questions like epics written in Sanskrit. Be it art, literature, science or technology, people are admitting Sanskrit is most useful.
  • On Sanskrit, as quoted in "Sanskrit Most Useful for Science, Technology, Says Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh", NDTV (23 August 2015)

• I want to clarify to everyone that I am an RSS swayamsevak and the PM is also an RSS swayamsevak. No one should have any problem in it.
  • On his relations to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as quoted in "I am a swayamsevak, so is PM Narendra Modi: Rajnath Singh", The Indian Express (6 September 2015)

• India is home to all the 72 ‘firkas’ (sects) of Muslims, which no other country has and it also has more Muslim population than Pakistan. India can be called more Islamic than Pakistan.
  • As quoted in "India Won't Fire First Bullet Along LoC: Rajnath" The New Indian Express (12 September 2015)

• Secularism is the most misused word in the country. Its misuse should come to an end. Because of the rampant misuse of the word, there have been instances of tension in society.
  • On the word secularism as it is used in India, "Rajnath attacks Congress on secularism, says it’s the ‘most misused’ term" The Indian Express (26 November 2015)

• Pok, whose PoK whole Kashmir is of India.
  • On the word in a rally with Republic (23 December 2019)