Jalandhar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi blew the bugle for BJP’s Punjab campaign at a rally in Jalandhar on Friday, attacking Aam Aadmi Party govt over law and order, and accusing Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal of being too caught up in infighting to work for the state’s progress. Only BJP can bring about real ‘badlav’ in the state, he declared.Sporting a green turban — a colour identified with farmers in Punjab — the PM opened his speech in Punjabi, asking: “Punjabiyo kiven ho (Punjabis, how are you). Chardi kala ch ho (are you in high spirits)?”Modi, who was here to inaugurate the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt railway station, addressed a BJP rally where he attacked AAP and its govt in Punjab, calling it a ‘kattar beimaan party’, and accusing it of running a game of loot while destroying the future of Punjab. He criticised law and order in Punjab, and said every other day, there is news of a shooting or murder.“Those ruling Punjab would earlier boast of changing the politics of the country but now their reality lies bare before the entire country,” he remarked.The PM said that the Punjab health minister had to be sacked for corruption. “One minister is facing money laundering allegations. Their MLAs are being caught red-handed while taking bribes. In their govt and party, very few people would be spotless,” Modi said.Congress is all tangled up in infighting, and Akali Dal is busy in ‘their selfish interests, PM said, adding that only BJP could put Punjab on the path of progress. BJP isn’t in office in Punjab now, yet the BJP-led Centre has left no stone unturned for its development, Modi said.“The priority for BJP govt is to ensure every citizen gets the opportunity for growth. Our mantra is ‘Nagarik Devo Bhava’ (Citizen is akin to god),” the PM said.Jalandhar was the final stop for Modi in a whirlwind tour of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh during which he dedicated projects worth Rs 25,000 crore and flagged off the country’s first hydrogen-powered train.After mentioning the projects being undertaken by his govt nationally and for Punjab, PM recalled Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule, when there was prosperity, people felt secure and there was social amity, and compared it with the present conditions in Punjab under AAP regime.“Now in Punjab, the picture of betrayal is being hidden behind advertisements. Law and order situation is very bad. Nobody knows where and when a gang war would erupt. It has become difficult to do trade and business. Extortion is routine and even police stations are being attacked frequently,” he said, adding, “The future of Punjab is being destroyed. Druglords are moving around freely and the youth of Punjab are being pushed into drugs.““People can be served with clean and honest intent. But the party ruling Punjab is neither well-intended nor honest. Their identity is ‘kattar beimaan’. Central govt has been making every effort so that people of Punjab get the benefit of all central govt schemes. But in the rule of the ‘kattar beimaan party’ here, a game of loot is being played,” PM said. He said that in the last 12 years, the Centre has given lakhs of crores to Punjab but the “money was not spent at the right places”.“This loot is taking place on the money raised from loans. Debt is being raised and the budget is being spent on servicing the debt, but those running the govt are splurging the money on themselves. The condition is such that development works have come to a halt and they are only putting their stickers on central govt schemes,” he said, alleging that Ayushman scheme was also manipulated in Punjab.“Farmers and youth of Punjab have big potential and Punjab can progress very fast. For this, double engine govt is very important,” he said, citing examples of Haryana and Delhi, where he said a lot of development took place after BJP came to office. BJP govt in Haryana was giving MSP to farmers, but in Punjab they were being cheated, he said.The PM also criticised AAP govt for ‘taking votes of women with promises (of Rs 1,000 every month) and then remaining silent for 50 months’. “Till now, Rs 50,000 should have been transferred to their accounts. But they got nothing,” he added.The PM took a dig at Congress, saying that the fight for ‘kursi’ (chair) is never-ending. “Akali Dal faces the same condition. They are busy with their own selfish interests and they don’t care about Punjab’s people,” PM said.Invoking the sacrifice of Sardar Teja Singh Samundri — one of the founders of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee — Modi said: “I pay my tribute to a great son of Punjab, Sardar Teja Singh Samundri. Today marks the 100th anniversary of his martyrdom. He led numerous movements to safeguard Sikh interests during the British colonial era. Sardar Teja Singh Ji dedicated his entire life to the service of the motherland. We will all draw inspiration from the programs marking his martyrdom centenary, which begin today.”In Chandigarh, the PM was seen engaged in a conversation with Congress MP Manish Tewari on the stage, sparking a buzz in political circles.MSID:: 132464361 413 |
