Chandigarh: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab, the Punjab Congress on Friday said that instead of merely inaugurating a railway station, he should have addressed the pressing issues facing the state and the country.Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that Modi did nothing for Punjab in his 12-year tenure as the PM except “offering periodic lip service” during his electoral visits to the state.Warring said it was obvious that Modi was in Punjab with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections. He said that the PM had nothing new to offer to the state except repeating past promises which he had “no intention of fulfilling”.The Ludhiana MP also urged the Prime Minister to “stop polarising” people. He alleged that even the PM’s visit was being projected with a particular motive and agenda. However, it will not work in Punjab, said Warring.The PPCC chief said Punjab needed economic and agricultural reconstruction, for which “the PM has nothing to offer”. He added that if the PM was sincere, he would fulfil the promises made to farmers, including waiving farm loans and providing a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP).“Is it a condition and is it compulsory that there should be a BJP govt in the state, and only then your govt at the Centre will provide the state its rightful due?” Warring asked. In that case, Punjab should not expect anything from Modi as the BJP will never form the govt in the state, he added.Senior Congress functionary and legislator Pargat Singh said the PM should have responded to the concerns regarding the proposed US trade deal and its likely impact on farmers, the alleged injustice faced by MGNREGA workers in Punjab, and the recent baton charge on the workers.Pargat Singh said Punjab was facing several serious challenges, but the PM was ignoring these issues and instead giving priority to inaugurating relatively small projects such as railway stations.He added that the Aam Aadmi Party national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann earlier drew criticism for inaugurating public toilets and congratulating themselves over such events, which was highly embarrassing. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister’s visit was also confined to such programmes.The Congress MLA said that if the proposed US trade deal was implemented, the country’s farmers and agricultural sector would suffer the most. Its impact, he claimed, would be felt for years and would not be easy to reverse.Pargat Singh also urged the central govt to place farmers’ interests above anything else.He further claimed that the Centre might attempt to introduce the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. If such a proposal is brought forward, the Congress will launch a large-scale public movement across Punjab and oppose it through democratic means, Pargat added.MSID:: 132462014 413 |
