NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed his first virtual rally for poll-bound Punjab and said that his party BJP and the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre aim to create a ‘Nawan Punjab’.
“BJP's goal is to create a 'Nawan Punjab. We have the vision and a track record of outstanding work,’’ PM Modi said. While stressing that the "BJP always stands for the Sikh community," PM Modi also expressed his desire to physically visit the state anytime soon.
"BJP always stands for Sikh community. After some days, I'll visit Punjab to meet people of Punjab,” the PM said in his virtual address to the voters of the state.
Slamming Congress for not being able to keep the Kartarpur Sahib in India, the PM said, ''We'll form border area development authority in Punjab. Congress could not keep Kartarpur Sahib in India. In order to remain in power, some people let Punjab burn in the fire of terrorism. It has been the identity of Punjab to keep India ahead.''
We'll form border area development authority in Punjab. Congress could not keep Kartarpur Sahib in India. In order to remain in power some people let Punjab burn in fire of terrorism. It has been identity of Punjab to keep India ahead: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/ri0gtE06Lv
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2022
In his first virtual rally for Punjab, PM Modi addressed people from 18 Assembly segments of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary constituencies.
According to a statement issued by the BJP, the party has set up LED screens all over the 18 Assembly segments. About 50,000 people reportedly watched the PM's address.
The party has scheduled some more rallies of the PM for the coming days, the statement said.
PM Modi had visited Punjab on January 5 but he returned without dedicating development projects and addressing a rally as his convoy was stuck on a flyover due to a blockade by some protesters in Ferozepur.
In view of the upcoming assembly polls in the state, BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance today release an 11-point 'Sankalp' document for rural areas of Punjab.
The 'Sankalp Patra' or the vision document promised a budget of Rs 5,000 crore for sustainable agriculture and organic farming, free rainwater harvesting units to check depleting water table and promotion of allied agriculture sectors of Punjab.
While advocating the promotion of sports in villages, the BJP and its allies also promised cash rewards to medal winners in international and national games on the lines of Haryana.
The Sankalp was released by Union Minister and BJP's Punjab election in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, SAD (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and BJP leaders Harjit Singh Grewal and Subhash Sharma.
The BJP is fighting the Punjab assembly polls in alliance with former chief minister Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).
The BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance had already promised debt waiver for farmers having less than 5 acres of land, MSP for fruits, vegetables, pulses and oilseeds, one lakh acres of Shamlat land for rural landless farmers for cultivation and Rs 6,000 annual financial assistance for every landless farmer under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Yojana when it had released the Sankalp document a few days ago.
