Attacking the Congress ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said while the ruling party in the state presided over the massacre of Sikhs, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) always stood by the community.
Addressing a virtual 'Fateh rally' for the voters of Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana, Prime Minister said, "Congress massacred Sikhs but we punished the culprits of the genocide. Congress could not even keep Kartarpur in India, but we opened the road to the holy shrine. Some people will always be seen in opposition to Sikh tradition, but the BJP always stood by Sikh community."
"For some, power has only been a means of power, but for us, it has always been a medium of service to 'Guru Parampara and Punjabis'. Therefore, BJP and NDA can carry forward the tradition and legacy of Punjab with true intention. Working for Punjabiyat and Sikh traditions is an act of service and privilege for me," he stated.
This was Prime Minister's first virtual rally for voters of Punjab ahead of the Assembly polls.
Prime Minister 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.
Attacking the Congress further, Prime Minister said, "People, who made speeches about the prohibition of drugs, did not help in tackling the issue, and rather took this menace to Delhi. In order to remain in power, some people let Punjab burn in the fire of terrorism. Punjab has to be very careful with such people."
Prime Minister said a 'Border Area Development Authority' will be formed to develop the border areas. He said Rs 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. Farmers of Punjab need the best connectivity to export their produce. Our double engine government will work faster in all these areas," he added.
Punjab will go to the polls on February 20 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, Congress won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government which had been in power for 10 years.
( With inputs from ANI )
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