NDA will form govt in Punjab, free it from drugs: Modi
Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Feb, 2022 12:55 PM
Jalandhar, Feb 14 (IANS) Promising to work on the teachings of Sikh gurus with principles of non-discrimination and equality for all, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the NDA would form the government in Punjab and would free the state from drugs.
"You might have everything, including money and property, but if your son becomes a drug-addict, what will you do with money and property? I am indebted to Punjab and I want to make the state 'nasha mukt'. This battle is for you," Modi said at an election rally here, his first after the major security breach during his visit to the state last month.
Slamming the Congress for allegedly instigating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Modi said, "Our government formed an SIT (special investigation team) to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. But the Congress gave high posts to the accused. The Congress is under the control of a family. As long as the family rules the Congress, Punjab will never benefit."
Praising former Congress leader and two-time Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who was sitting next to the Prime Minister at the rally, Modi said, "Captain (Amarinder Singh) worked in collaboration with the Union government under the federal system, but they (Congress) sent him home. The Congress is being punished for its sins as you can see the fate of this party now. They are fighting among themselves."
Also missing no opportunity to take a jibe at BJP's former alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Prime Minister said, "There was a time when SAD was not having absolute majority and with BJP's support, it could form the government.
"But SAD did not pick a Deputy CM from the BJP and Badal sahib (Parkash Singh Badal) chose his son as Deputy CM, but we stayed with them because we wanted Punjab's development."
The policies of the Congress have destroyed the industries in Punjab, where unemployment is at its peak, and this condition can only change with an NDA government in the state, Modi said.
The Prime Minister further said that 70 per cent sports goods are manufactured in Jalandhar, but the Congress never talked about 'Vocal for Local' to support these manufacturers.
Batting for the need for a 'new Punjab' to build a 'new India', Modi said, "For a new Bharat, we need a 'Naya Punjab' (new Punjab), in which there will be no place for corruption or 'mafia raaj'."
Modi also questioned the security arrangements of the state government, saying, "I wanted to pay obeisance at the Devi Talab Mandir, but the police administration asked me to go back by helicopter. This is the state of affairs of the Punjab government."
Reiterating the need for a double-engine government for development, Modi said the state "needs a double-engine government (Centre and state) for the unprecedented development of Punjab".
"Twenty-three lakh Punjab farmers are getting PM Kisan payment directly in their accounts. We provided pesticides and fertilisers at a lower rate than the global market. We'll also work on natural and organic farming," he said.
The accused has been identified as Noori Ibrahim, a resident of Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Her agent, Ibraheem Keethadth, a resident of Bengaluru, has also been arrested.
Sisodia concluded with "dissatisfaction" over unchanged Income Tax slab. "Today, this country needed some relief in the income tax slabs. This would have helped our middle class regain purchasing power and enter the markets. This would have naturally helped the economy grow."
Observing the 3rd World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day as a key moment to highlight the global community's commitment to ending these, India joined close to 40 other nations to illuminate iconic landmarks to raise awareness. This year, India lit up the New Delhi Railway Station in purple and orange hues to mark the occasion.
The accused have been identified as Nitin Pratap alias Atul and Sandeep Kumar -- residents of Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh. Police said the accused used a Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle for the last two months to commit the crime in Gurugram and Rajasthan, and they used to travel from Tapukara in Rajasthan once a week to snatch mobile phones.
The deceased, identified as Megha Kayal, 40, was working as a doctor in London Milton Keynes University Hospital. Prior to this, she was a doctor at Apollo hospital, Sarita Vihar, Delhi.
A gofundme has raised US$70,000 for the victim family. The bodies of the four family members – who have been identified after autopsies as Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, daughter Vihangi Patel, 11, and son Dharmik Patel, 3 – are currently lying in a morgue in Winnipeg.
