By Anand Narasimhan,News18,Oindrila Mukherjee

Copyright news18

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday described Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a “fused rocket” and said his voter theft allegations will not make an impact in poll-bound Bihar.
Rahul Gandhi, who has been campaigning against the ongoing electoral roll revision in Bihar with ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, has made vote theft allegations against the BJP. Earlier in the day, during a press conference addressed by him, the Congress accused chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of aiding the BJP in winning elections through voter deletions.
“He is a fused rocket that doesn’t take off. There are no takers for ‘vote chori’ in Bihar,” Goyal told News18 in an interview.
Goyal, who is in the UAE for a two-day visit, said signing of the defence deal between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will have no impact on its relationship with India.
“It won’t affect Bharat-Saudi relations and there will be no impact on Bharat-UAE ties as well. We have a very strong relationship with the UAE,” he said.
While addressing a press conference in Abu Dhabi, he said the UAE has expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation with India in key high-tech sectors, including defence, aerospace, and space technology.
On ‘Bharat Mart’ being set up in Dubai, he said: “It’s a unique opportunity for us. I was quite intrigued by the concept. Land has been allocated for the mart in Dubai, and small and medium Indian businesses can showcase their products,” he added.
‘INDIA-US TALKS GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION’
Goyal said India’s trade negotiations with the United States are showing promising signs and are moving in the right direction.
“Positive talks are going on with the US, talks going in the right direction. The US and India are natural partners and there is a strong relationship between us,” he said.
He spoke about concerns from textile exporters over their goods getting stuck due to the US tariffs and if they will be diverted to the US through other countries.
“India will never allow other countries’ goods to be diverted to the US through India, nor will it allow any Indian exporter to send Indian goods to the US through other countries. Our credibility is our greatest strength,” he added.
Goyal further said Indian manufacturers and foreign investors want to set up in India because it is a huge market.
“After the GST (goods and services tax) rate cut, we expect to see a considerable increase in consumer demand in India,” he said.