'Sant Ravidas Was Born In UP, Will You Also Turn Him Away From Punjab?': PM Modi On Channi's 'Bhaiya' Remark

PM Modi said that Punjab needs a government that draws inspiration from patriotism, from the development of Punjab. BJP has come before you with dedication.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Punjab's Fazilka

New Delhi: With three days left for the Punjab assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Fazilka today to address a public rally. The Prime Minister said that this was his last public address in Punjab ahead of elections and as he visited various regions of the state he heard only one voice that the people want a 'double engine' government. 

According to some reports, security was tightened ahead of PM Modi's poll rally in Abohar town in Fazilka district of Punjab today and as a precautionary measure, the local administration had declared the airspace under its jurisdiction a no-fly zone till the day of the rally.

The local administration also strictly prohibited the flying of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Fazilka's Additional District Magistrate Abhijeet Kaplish said that the orders have been issued in view of emerging threats due to the recent carrying of drones as IED by anti-national elements.

Here are some key points of PM Modi's speech at Punjab's Fazilka:

• Urging the voters to give one opportunity to the Bhartiya Janata Party to serve Punjab once, PM Modi slammed the Congress party. The Prime Minister said that there are so many states in the country where Congress ruled once but did not return to power. However, where the BJP got the blessings, Congress got wiped out from the root. 
• PM Modi further said that today Punjab needs a government that draws inspiration from patriotism, from the development of Punjab. BJP has come before you with dedication, with the resolve of the security and development of Punjab.
• Hitting out at the ruling Congress party in the state, PM Modi further said, "History is witness that Congress always betrayed farmers. There was a long pending demand to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. They sat on those files but kept lying. When we formed our Govt at the Centre, we implemented those recommendations."
• PM Modi also launched a scathing attack at the Punjab Chief Minister Charanjeet Singh Channi and Congress Party over his 'Bihar aur UP ke bhaiya remark' and said that Sant Guru Ravidas was also born in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, will you also expel Sant Ravidas ji from Punjab? PM Modi further asked where was Guru Gobind Singh Ji born? He said, "In Patna Sahib, Bihar. So will you also expel Guru Gobind ji from Punjab?"
• PM Modi said, "Congress always pits people of a region against others. Congress CM gave a statement yesterday that received claps from a member of the family in Delhi. Who are they insulting with such statements? Not one village here where people from UP-Bihar don't toil."

• Targetting the Aam Aadmi Party next, the Prime Minister said that a new party is contesting elections this time which is no different than the Congress and is propagating lies. PM Modi said, "the 'Partner in Crime' party of Congress is also telling lies one after the other in Punjab. These are the people who have the government in Delhi. These people, who came to Punjab today and lied to the Sikhs, have not made a single Sikh minister in Delhi."
• Calling the AAP "masters of lying" PM Modi said, "If pollution increases in Delhi, they blame the farmers of Punjab. If you go to Delhi, they abuse the farmers of Punjab and when they are here, they talk about embracing the farmers. Will this scam work?"

Punjab will go to the polls on February 20, and the Congress Party is fighting to keep hold of one of the few states it governs on its own. The counting of votes will be held on March 10.