Fazilka (Punjab): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, underlining that they were not fit to rule Punjab and that only the BJP could bring investment to the state.
A day before campaigning ends in Punjab, Modi went hammer and tongs against Punjab's ruling Congress party and the main opposition AAP, which most opinion polls say is the front-runner in the assembly elections scheduled on Sunday.
The Prime Minister targeted Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for disallowing the benefits of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the national capital.
"Ayushman card is pan India but the Delhi government doesn't want to implement this scheme," he said: "They did not let any Sikh become a Minister in their government," he said, referring to the AAP government in Delhi. "They opened liquor shops near schools and colleges in Delhi and now they say they will fight against drugs in Punjab."
Modi said the allegations levelled against Kejriwal by his former party colleague Kumar Vishwas -- who the Prime Minister referred to as "the poet" -- "are extremely serious and every voter needs to keep that in mind". "These people have a dream of breaking up Punjab. They will not back down, even if they have to break the country to get power," he added. "Their agenda and the agenda of the enemies of the country, the agenda of Pakistan, is no different."
Modi also turned his guns at the Congress, focussing on Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's remarks against migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "Guru Ravidasji was born in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. So, will you not allow Guru Ravidas to enter Punjab? Guru Govind Singh was born in Bihar. So will you insult the land where Guru Govind Singh was born?"
He said industries left Punjab under Congress rule. "New investment doesn't come under this government. This will be done by Modi." The Prime Minister said the Congress has always betrayed the farmers of the country. "They failed to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission." (UNI)
