Addressing a joint rally with alliance partner the ShiromaniAkali Dal in Ludhiana, BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister NarendraModi called the BJP-SAD alliance an example of Hindu-Sikh unity.
“The alliance of Akali Dal and BJP is not merely for the formation of government but is a symbol of unity. The people of Punjab have put their faith in Parkash Singh Badal and voted for development,” he said.
Modi also rubbished the rumours that Sikhs were being targeted in Gujarat. “Some people are spreading rumours that I’m targeting Sikhs in Gujarat. No Sikh farmer will ever be forced to leave Gujarat. If any official targets Sikh farmers in Gujarat, they will be punished,” he said adding that every Indian has equal rights as he himself does to live in Gujarat.
Hitting out at the Congress over the rising levels of corruption, Modi lambasted the ruling government for saying that the BJP stalled the introduction of anti-graft bills in the Parliament. “Congress leaders are blaming other parties on Corruption? I am surprised. ABCD is indicative of Congress corruption. A for Adarsh, B for Bofors, C for coalgate,” he said.
He also attacked Congress on the issue of the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme which has been approved in Parliament in its recently concluded winter session. He said that the Congress has no intentions of implementing the policy and it will be the NDA government which will eventually put the scheme to work.
Speaking at his ‘Fateh’ rally, he made a pitch for improving the agriculture industry and proposed to split up the Food Corporation of India to improve efficiencies. He added that farmers, manufacturing and the service sector are the three pillars which need to be focussed for the development of the country. “The Punjab CM is worried about the farmers and the Deputy CM wants to make it technically advanced. This thought process will help in the development,” he said.
Urging the people of the state to vote for the BJP in the upcoming LokSabha elections, Modi assured that he will work towards the development of the people when he if he comes to power. “If I become the PM, I will be like a guard and will never let anyone steal the wealth of the nation. The national treasure of the money of the poor which is to be used for their development.
Praising the Gujarat Chief Minister during the rally, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal appealed the people to vote for Modi as the next prime minister for the progress of the nation. He also attacked the Congress saying that the nation has gone backwards in the last decade under the Congress’s governance.
BJP chief Rajnath Singh, too, lauded the development work done by Punjab Chief Minister in the state and said that whenever Congress government has come to power, prices have increased and corruption has prevailed.
