Wanted to pray at Jalandhar temple, local admn said can’t make arrangements: PM

Modi addressed a physical poll rally in Jalandhar, his first in Punjab since January 5 when a road blockade by protesters had forced him to cut short his visit to the state. The PM said it was his desire to pay obeisance at Devi Talab Mandir, but the police and the administration here said “they will not be able to make arrangements”.

“They said you leave by helicopter. Such is the situation of the government here…But I will come here again and pay obeisance at the temple,” said Modi as he attacked the state’s Congress government.

Recalling his 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign as the BJP’s PM candidate, he said his plane was not allowed to fly as “the Congress’ namdar and its yuvraj (prince), who was just an MP,” had a programme near Amritsar. “I got delayed by more than an hour in reaching Pathankot. When I reached Pathankot, my helicopter was not allowed to fly. Why? Because their yuvraj was visiting some other place in Punjab,” Modi said in an apparent reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“Such misuse of power used to happen for one family. In 2014, my helicopter could not fly after sunset. My two programmes in Himachal Pradesh at that time had to be cancelled. It has been the deeds of the Congress to stop its opponents. For the last 50 years, it has been doing this against its rivals,” he said as he took a dig at the Gandhis.

Modi also promised the electorate a “nawan (new)” and “nasha mukt (drug free)” Punjab within a decade, claiming that the BJP had become a political alternative in the state for the first time.

“If you have everything – a house, car, money – then what will you do with all that if your sons become drug addict. I am pained and I am indebted to Punjab and I want to repay this debt and want to save this young generation of Punjab,” he told the gathering at Jalandhar’s PAP ground, adding that only BJP can make it drug free.

While pitching the BJP’s slogan — ‘Nawan Punjab Bhajpa De Naal’ (New Punjab with BJP), he said that this “nawan Punjab” will preserve its history and traditions, will be free from debt, will be a place where the downtrodden will get equal opportunities.

He also said that Punjab needed a government that will work for the nation’s security.

“Only that government can serve Punjab, which will rise above the partisan considerations,” he said.

The PM recalled his association with Punjab and said that he wanted to return that debt by serving the state.

Modi reiterated that Punjab needed a “double-engine” government, which will work closely with the Central government to solve Punjab’s problems, while ensuring peace and harmony. He promised that the NDA government will work to increase the income of farmers, particularly the small farmers.

The PM pulled no punches as he attacked former ally SAD, the AAP and even the Gandhi family for running the state by remote control.

Attacking BJP’s old allay, Akali Dal, he asserted that the BJP had kept Punjab’s interest always above its coalition rights. He pointed out that in 2007, the Akali Dal fell short of majority and the government would not have been possible without the support of the BJP. He said the coalition norms demanded that the Deputy CM should have been from the BJP. But, he added, that “Badal sahab (Parkash Singh Badal) instead made his son the Deputy CM and the BJP accepted it in the interest of Punjab”.

PM during his speech also paid tributes to the Pulwama martyrs.

“I also pay my obeisance to Guru Ravidas Ji ahead of his jayanti and am determined to make a splendid shrine dedicated to Guru Ravidas Ji,” he added.

While responding to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s statement without naming her, he said that she had stated that Capt Amarinder Singh as CM did not listen to them and instead worked with the Centre.

“This is a clear admission of trying to remote control the state government. Capt Sahib worked with the central government in true spirit of federalism, but when he refused to take the family’s diktats they sent him home,” he said.

Raking up the 1984 riots, he said that instead of punishing the culprits, they were rewarded with ministerial positions.

“It was the BJP government that had ensured the culprits were put behind the bars,” he said.

He also pointed out how his government had declared December 26 as the ‘Baal Veer Diwas’ in the honour of Chhote Sahibzade, which will now be observed every year across the country.

Targeting AAP, he said, they are saying that they will make Punjab drug free, but how can they do so when they are opening liquor shops in lanes and by-lanes of Delhi.

The rally was attended by former CM Capt Amarinder Singh, leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, state BJP president Ashwani Sharma and other local leaders and alliance candidates.

Former Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress leader, Capt Amarinder Singh said that country’s security and safeguarding the future of Punjab were two top most priorities for the state right now.

On Congress leaders alleging that he had close ties with the BJP leaders, Capt Amarinder remarked, “Yes I have a good relationship with all of them and they (the Congress leaders) can say what they want. I don’t care”.

Apart from raising the security challenge due to a common border with Pakistan, Amarinder said that Punjab is faced with the humongous problem of debt of Rs 5 lakh crores, which includes Rs 4 lakh crores state debt and Rs one lakh crore owed by various corporations with state guarantee.

“Under these circumstances, Punjab will need a stable and strong government that will work closely with the central government,” he argued.