Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, declared in Kolkata that no amount of unnecessary or baseless opposition has ever been able to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abandon his commitments to the people of India. Singh made the remarks at a programme marking the launch of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', organised ahead of PM Modi's birthday on 17 September.

What Rajnath Singh Said

'There are some who, if they ever see opposition, move away from those paths. Our Prime Minister always faces a lot of opposition. But he never backs out. Instead, he becomes even more committed in securing the future of the country,' Singh said at the event.

He cited the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) as a case in point, noting that opposition to the scheme at its launch did not deter Modi from proceeding. Singh said 59 crore PMJDY accounts have now been opened across the country, with the majority of account holders being women.

UPI's Rise: From Scepticism to Global Acclaim

Singh also highlighted the journey of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), recalling that many had doubted its viability when it was first introduced. He pointed out that in August, UPI recorded 23.66 billion transactions — a figure he described as evidence of a 'revolution' rather than merely a technology upgrade.

'When the UPI was launched in India many thought that its success was not possible in India. Some people even questioned whether this system would benefit the poor people or not. Now, the UPI system has been running in the country for the last 10 years. French President Emmanuel Macron praised it a lot. That is why UPI is now being introduced in many countries,' Singh said. The endorsement from Macron has been cited by the government as a marker of UPI's global standing.

Praise for West Bengal's New Chief Minister

Speaking separately to reporters, Singh reserved praise for Suvendu Adhikari, who recently assumed charge as West Bengal Chief Minister — marking the first time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formed a government in the state since Independence, according to Singh. He said Adhikari's performance in his initial months in office was being recognised in other states.

'I believe that West Bengal under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari will emerge as the first shipbuilding hub in the world,' the Defence Minister said, signalling the Centre's intent to channel maritime and industrial investment into the state.

Context: Seva Sankalp Abhiyan

The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan is a BJP-led public outreach initiative timed to coincide with PM Modi's birthday on 17 September. The Kolkata programme represented the formal beginning of the campaign in West Bengal, with Singh's presence underlining the party's focus on consolidating its newly won foothold in the state. The event comes amid the BJP's broader effort to translate its electoral breakthrough in Bengal into a visible governance narrative ahead of the next cycle of state and national politics.