Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Bathinda
Taking on the Congress over its overseas unit chief’s controversial remarks regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the party was struggling to win 50 seats because “the Congress leaders are confused and their thinking is diffused”.
Addressing a rally in support of SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal here, he said Sam Pitroda’s “hua toh hua” remark reflects the arrogance of the Congress, while accusing it of rewarding its leaders, “facing serious charges in the 1984 riots”, with plum ministerial and party posts.
“The Congress had once appointed a leader as the party’s Punjab affairs incharge, but had to backtrack after the people in Punjab resented the move for his alleged involvement in 1984 riots. However, the same leader was appointed as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh a few months back.”
Accusing the Congress of resorting to a dilly-dallying approach to deny closure to the victims, he said he had already sent one of the guilty to the gallows while others have got the life term.
The PM also targeted the Congress for what he called its “historic blunder of leaving the holy shrine of Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan during Partition”, while terming it their “insensitivity” towards the symbol of Sikh faith.
He also lashed out at Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for “betraying the farmers” with his farm debt waiver scheme, stating that “everyone knows the truth behind it”. He said the NDA government had promised to double the farmers’ income by 2022 and they’ve already initiated measures in this direction by increasing the MSP of various crops.
He said his government has also worked towards boosting the connectivity between all five Takhts of the Sikh faith. He mentioned AIIMS, Bathinda, and the Ayushman scheme as their big initiatives in the health sector. He exhorted people to vote for the SAD, saying “vote for Akali Dal is a vote for Modi” before a dust storm forced him to wrap up his speech quickly.
Modi said the Congress leaders are confused and the party’s thinking is diffused. “They have come out with a manifesto that talks of diluting the AFSPA, which is tantamount to weakening our armed forces.”
Addressing the gathering, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal took on the Congress government over the sacrilege issue: “A sacrilege incident has been reported at Malerkotla yesterday. Now, should we blame the Congress government for it just the way they blamed us when it happened under our previous regime?”
He questioned Rahul Gandhi’s Bargari rally on May 15, reminding people that it is the same Congress which attacked their holiest shrine in 1984. He reiterated that he would pray that the Almighty may wipe out the clan of those “involved in sacrilege” and also those resorting to “dirty politics” over the sensitive issue.
Bibi Jagdish Kaur, a key witness in the Sajjan Kumar case, also addressed the people and exhorted them not to vote for the Congress, as “a vote for the Congress is a vote for the Gandhi family”.
She said she would lodge an FIR against the Gandhi family for “shielding the accused” in 1984 riots, besides seeking action against Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath. SAD senior vice-president Jagmeet Brar accused Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of giving a clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 riots during his campaign for Lok Sabha polls in 2014.
Takes on punjab CM
Nothing can be more tragic than the fact that the farmers of Punjab, who feed the entire nation, are today committing suicides. I would like to tell Captain (Amarinder) that people can forgive your mistakes, but not your betrayals. —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
