Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday promised a “new Punjab” if the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance was voted to power after the February 20 elections, addressing his first physical rally in the state since a security breach in his convoy on January 4 forced him to cut his visit to the state short.
The entire country is moving ahead with the pledge of a “new India” and this can be realised only when there is a “nawan (new) Punjab”, said Modi.
“The new Punjab will be free of debt, full of opportunities and where every Dalit will get honour and participation at every level,” Modi said at the Punjab Armed Police ground in Jalandhar.
The policies of the Congress government in the state have destroyed industries and affected employment in Punjab, he said. “In Punjab, the NDA alliance will form the government. In Punjab, a new chapter of development will start. I want to assure the people, especially the youth, that for their brighter future, we will not leave any stone unturned,” Modi said, invoking his “old connection” with the state and its people.
The Prime Minister promised to rid the state of corruption, the drug menace, and the mafia rule, and coined the slogan “Nawan Punjab Bhajpa de naal (New Punjab with BJP)”. “I will make Punjab nasha mukt, if you have everything including money, property but if your son becomes a drug addict then what will you do with that money and property? I am indebted to Punjab and I want to make Punjab nasha mukt,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The Prime Minister promised to rid the state of corruption, the drug menace, and the mafia rule, and coined the slogan “Nawan Punjab Bhajpa de naal (New Punjab with BJP)”. “I will make Punjab nasha mukt, if you have everything including money, property but if your son becomes a drug addict then what will you do with that money and property? I am indebted to Punjab and I want to make Punjab nasha mukt,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“This battle is for you,” the PM added.
The BJP is contesting the single-phase elections in Punjab in alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD).
Launching an attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party can never work for the welfare of Punjab as the family that controls the Congress has an old enmity against the state.
“The family that controls the Congress party avenges its old enmity against Punjab. As long as Congress is in possession of that family, the party can never work for the betterment of Punjab,” he said in a veiled reference to the Gandhi family.
“Entire Punjab is witness that we formed SIT to investigate the 1984 Sikh riots and helped its victims. But Congress has always sprinkled salt on your wounds by giving big posts in the party to the accused of riots,” the Prime Minister said.
“The history of Congress is that it can never work for Punjab. And whoever wants to work, Congress creates thousands of obstacles,” he said.
He also hit out at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her comments against former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
“This is a clear admission of trying to remote control the state government,” Modi said alleging that the Congress party’s central leadership was running state governments from Delhi.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said that the Congress government in Punjab was being operated by the Bharatiya Janata Party from Delhi for the last five years which is why Singh was dislodged and Charanjit Singh Channi appointed chief minister.
Singh resigned as the chief minister and quit the Congress after a long-drawn battled with Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu over the party’s control last year.
Reacting to Modi’s promises during the rally, former Punjab Congress chief, Sunil Jakhar, said, “The Prime Minister must first explain why a drugs case lying with the Enforcement Directorate has not reached a logical conclusion.” He was referring to the Bhola drugs case in which a senior Akali Dal leader was named.
The Prime Minister said it was his desire to pay obeisance at the Devi Talab Mandir “but the police and the administration here said they will not be able to make arrangements”.
He also attacked the Aam Aadmi Party, which is looking to dislodge the Congress from power after having emerged as the largest Opposition party in the 2017 elections.
“The BJP government contests elections based on its work. Some people who do not have any record of work come here to spread lies. They talk about making Punjab drug-free. But these people themselves are experts in opening liquor shops in mohallas,” said Modi said, referring to the new excise police that the AAP government has implemented in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, addressing a rally at Akbarpur in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat, Modi said that the law against triple talaq has saved thousands of Muslim families. Kanpur Dehat goes to the polls along with 58 constituencies in the third phase of polls on February 20.
“This practice (of triple talaq) was ruining the lives of women. Parents lived in constant fear of their daughters being divorced in one sitting,” the PM said, asserting that Muslim women have benefitted heavily in the last seven years (of BJP rule at the Centre). “We have protected the Muslim women through a law and saved thousands of households from breaking up.”
He also took a jibe at the Samajwadi Party (SP) for bringing in a “new partner” in each election. “Every election, they bring in a new partner. Once the elections are over, they kick that partner out,” he said.
When they keep changing allies, how can they serve the people of Uttar Pradesh, he asked. “Let March 10 (counting day) come, they will be at each other’s necks, cursing and abusing. That is their character,” Modi said.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP is contesting the seven-phase UP elections in alliance with Jayant Chaudhary’s Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Stepping up the attack on previous governments, he accused them of grave injustice against the state by letting the mafia rule thrive. “When in power, they had distributed areas among themselves to loot the money meant for the people — uncle to loot in a particular area, nephew in another area. That was their model of governance,” he said. “If they had their way, they would have created Mafiagunj in every district.”
On the other hand, the Yogi government cracked down on criminals, putting them on the death bed, the Prime Minister said.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, claimed “historic voting” for SP-RLD candidates. “After the first two phases, the people have pacified ‘garmi’ of those who were talking of curbing others’ enthusiasm (garmi nikal denge) after the elections,” Yadav said while addressing an election rally in the Bundelkhand region, in a reference to chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s earlier comments.