New Delhi: Punjab Lok Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be coming to Punjab soon to campaign for the PLC-BJP-SAD Sanyukt coalition in the state ahead of polls.
This announcement gains significance in the backdrop of PM Modi's visit to Punjab last month where his Ferozepur event was called off citing a major security lapse.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Prime Minister was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes due to the road being blocked by some protesters. While BJP leaders targetted the Congress-led Punjab government over the incident, CM Charanjit Channi has continued to deny a security lapse, especially a threat to PM Modi's life.
In response to BJP's attacks, Congress alleged low turnout in the Ferozepur event as the reason behind the public meeting being cancelled.
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Amarinder Singh Recalls Sidhu's Meet With Pak Army Chief
Addressing a public rally at Patiala's Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday, Capt Amarinder Singh said that only his party can ensure the security of the sensitive border state.
"The state's and country's safety is of paramount importance, which only the PLC alliance, with the support of the BJP-led government at the Centre, could ensure," he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
He recalled the incident of Navjot Singh Sidhu hugging the Pakistan army chief, who, he said, was ordering his soldiers every day to kill Indians.
The former Punjab chief minister stressed that the state's governance could not be handed over to people who were willing to compromise national security to further their personal and political ambitions.
"Who do you hate more, the soldiers who fire or the one who gives the order?" Amarinder Singh asked the gathering.
We want peace with Pakistan but will not bow to them. We are prepared to fight, our army is ready to take them head-on, the ex-Army man added.
While there was no conflict between the people of the two countries, the hostile regime in Pakistan posed a serious danger that could not be undermined, he said, PTI reported citing a statement.
Amarinder Singh mentioned that as many as 83 Punjabi soldiers had been killed by Pakistan on the border since March 2017, and the government he headed earlier had given compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a job to the kin of each deceased soldier.
According to him, Punjab, with its economy in total shambles, was at a crossroads and needed the Centre's support to go ahead. He added that Punjab was reeling under debt.
For Punjab's survival, it is necessary that the state and the Centre work together, the former chief minister stated.
He said that he personally has had cordial relations with Narendra Modi since the time the latter was the chief minister of Gujarat.
PLC's Plan For Punjab
The Punjab Lok Congress president unveiled his ambitious plans for the development and security of the state, which he claimed that Congress scuttled with its sudden and uncalled for change at the helm of the government less than six months before the Assembly polls.
He highlighted various development projects that he had launched in the Patiala region which according to him, have been stalled by the Channi government.
Amarinder Singh said that he had ensured 22 lakh new jobs and investment worth Rs 1 lakh crore on the ground during his tenure but much more was needed to be done to ensure the state's progress.
I want to ensure that Punjab's children do not go abroad for higher education and jobs, he added.