Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Hoshiarpur
Hitting out at Congress Overseas chief Sam Pitroda’s three-word remark “hua toh hua” yesterday over the 1984 massacre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that it came like sprinkling acid on a three-decade-old wound of Sikhs and Punjabis.
Modi made an all-out effort to strike an emotional chord with the masses during his first Lok Sabha election rally in Punjab saying, “My Sikh brothers and sisters had been burnt alive and we are still to get justice. But the real face of the Congress emerged yesterday which is trying to get away with it all by saying ‘Hua toh hua’. Unke liye chahe ho chuka hoga, par iss chowkidar ke rehte insaaf toh poora hoga (for them it might be over but till the time I am chowkidar here I will ensure complete justice).
Repeating three words “Hua toh hua” at least four times very sarcastically in his speech today, he began saying, “The Congress has a blot on it which may not even get wiped even after 50 generations.” He then went on to say, “Look who said this — someone who has been the closest to the Gandhi family. It came like if this was something lying buried in their hearts. In 2014, I had promised you in my Amritsar rally that I will bring justice to you. Files were gathering dust and naamdaars were making all out effort to save the accused but we managed to send him to jail. ”
The Prime Minister asked the gathering, “Can Punjab forget the 1984 massacre? Can India forget it? Who is responsible for 1984 riots? Can this Congress survive in Punjab? Is this the justice that the Congress wanted to deliver?” At this, the crowd raised slogans, “Shame! Shame!” and quickly started chanting “Modi-Modi”.
Having started his speech by greeting everyone with “fateh”, Modi’s first target was Congress minister Navjot Sidhu. “When we started the Kartarpur corridor work, a ‘darbari neta’ took Pakistan’s praises showing all besharmi,” he said. Knowing that a large number of Army personnel hail from the region, he took credit for the OROP scheme.
“We have sent Rs 35,000 crore to the houses of fauji families and Congress leaders were indulging in self-praise by doling out only Rs 500 crore,” Modi said.
He even touched the issue of river waters saying, “Our farmers need water but our waters kept going to Pakistan. For 70 years, the Congress was not bothered. This chowkidar has decided to stop every drop of water going out and work is on at the Shahpur Kandi dam.”
Wooing NRIs, he said, “We opened more Passport Sewa Kendras here as I know that Punjabis are very eager to go abroad.”
Rally sidelights
PM Modi reached the venue late by an hour and a half
While other leaders had already delivered their speeches, ex-CM Parkash Singh Badal spoke in Modi’s presence
Badal called the PM as Narendra ‘Singh’ Modi, citing an old incident when Modi had taken the Sikhi ‘saroop’ in Punjab during Indira Gandhi’s rule
Sunny Deol, who donned a yellow turban, sat on a chair reserved for the PM by mistake and was asked to shift
As Modi greeted everyone, he patted Sampla on his shoulder sarcastically
Crowd responded to ‘Modi-Modi’, ‘Aa gya Modi, Chha gya Modi’ and ‘Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar’ slogans
At the end of Modi’s speech, crowd put on torch on their phones and waved to Modi, who responded, “You are making me feel as if election result is out.”
