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Punjab elections: Congress massacred Sikhs, BJP always stood by them: Modi
Addressing his first virtual Punjab rally, the Prime Minister accuses Kejriwal-led AAP of misleading state’s people with ‘white lies’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress had presided over the massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and adopted all conspiracies to rule Punjab, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had always stood by the community.
“To work for Punjabis and Sikh traditions have always been the National Democratic Alliance’s motive. Few people will always been seen standing against the Sikhs and Sikh traditions. For them, Punjab has only remained a place to rule. To ensure their rule, these people tried all conspiracies. They pushed Punjab into terrorism, but we tried to spread the message of Sikh traditions across the globe,” Modi said, addressing his first virtual Fateh Rally in the run-up to the February 20 assembly elections.
The Prime Minister said the Congress committed genocide of Sikhs (after the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi) in 1984 but it was the BJP that ensured punishment to the accused. “The Congress could not even keep the Kartarpur in India, but we opened the road to the holy shrine,” said Modi.
Addressing assembly segments in the two parliamentary constituencies of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib, the Prime Minister began his speech in Punjabi. He said he felt fortunate and privileged that he had got the chance to honour the great sacrifice of the two younger Sahibzadas, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. The Prime Minister had last month declared their martyrdom day, December 26, as Veer Bal Diwas, which will be observed every year across the country.
Targets AAP while raising drug problem
The Prime Minister also took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) while raising the issue of drugs. “I especially appeal to Punjab’s daughters and mothers that the drug problem that has ruined you and your houses, because of which you are worried and the problem from which you want to free Punjab from, was strongly raised during the last assembly elections but lost after that. They could not help you here and have brought this problem to the youngsters of Delhi,” Modi said.
“These people have arrived here again and are asking for votes by talking sweet. Punjab needs to be aware of such people. Punjab doesn’t need white lies. It needs the strong intent of the NDA to develop Punjab with a double engine government,” the Prime Minister said.
“Those who are claiming they will develop jhuggi-jhopadis (slums) of Delhi, can’t do it. Inke buss ka to bilkul bhi nahi hai,” said Modi, taking another jibe at the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi.
“Development of Punjab cannot be done by a party that wasted its energy attacking Captain Sahib (Capt Amarinder Singh) during the Covid pandemic. A party that failed to control the situation in Delhi cannot develop Punjab,” Modi said.
Says BJP’s goal to create ‘Nawan Punjab’
Modi said the BJP’s goal is to create a ‘Nawan (new) Punjab’ and the party has the vision and a track record of work. He said the NDA government will work towards stopping the cross-border supply of drugs and weapons.
A border area development authority will be formed and ₹1 lakh crore will be spent in the next five years for infrastructure development in Punjab. “The farmers of Punjab need modern cold storages, food parks and food-processing industries. They need the best connectivity to export their produce. Our double engine government will work faster in all these areas,” he said.
He said during the past seven years, the NDA government paid ₹2.25 lakh crore to farmers of Punjab for paddy, against just ₹1 lakh crore by the UPA government in the previous seven years. Similarly, he added, the amount paid to farmers for wheat during this period was ₹1.6 lakh crore, more than double what the UPA had paid.
Besides, he said, the NDA government had set up the Indian Institute of Management in Amritsar and All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bathinda. He said the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra highway also passed through Punjab on which ₹40,000 crore was being spent.
He also announced that the NDA government would set up a commission to recommend welfare measures for victims of terrorism who suffered during the dark decade of militancy in the state.
