Arrangements Made For 70,000 People, But There Were Only 500: Sidhu’s Dig At PM Modi Over Punjab Visit
“It is an attempt to save themselves from humiliation because it must never have happened that a Prime Minister addressed 500 people when 70,000 chairs were arranged,” Sidhu said.
Chandigarh: Launching a vitriolic attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday alleged that a rant about security lapses during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the state is being made to reap political benefits in other poll-bound states.
Sidhu said this is being done by the state BJP leaders to save themselves from humiliation as Prime Minister Modi would have had to address a gathering of 500 people when arrangements for 70,000 were made.
“It is an attempt to save themselves from humiliation because it must never have happened that a Prime Minister addressed 500 people when 70,000 chairs were arranged,” Sidhu said.
“What does this show and that too at a programme of the Prime Minister? They (BJP leaders) stand exposed. It is very clear that they have no support in the state,” he added.
Claiming that the BJP has no base or public support left in Punjab, Sidhu said the saffron party will get a “befitting reply” in the upcoming state assembly elections.
Asserting to thrust the onus of Modi’s security entirely on the state police is not right, the Punjab Congress chief said around 10,000 people are involved in the Prime Minister’s security paraphernalia, including officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other central agencies.
Sidhu added that the state police take instructions from them.
The cricketer-turned-politician also took potshots at former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who has demanded the imposition of President’s rule in the state after the security lapses during Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
“Why attempts are being made to spoil Punjab’s atmosphere when polls are approaching,” Sidhu said, PTI reported.
“All those saying the President’s rule should be imposed in Punjab are its (BJP’s) parrots,” he added.
Continuing his tirade, Sidhu said the BJP thinks that only those who are with it are patriots and categorically added that the Congress workers will fight for the nation “till their last breath”.
The Congress leader also used the occasion to remind Modi that he is the entire country’s Prime Minister and not only of those associated with the BJP.
“Everyone knows how precious your life is. But Punjab and Punjabiyat are being insulted when it is said that the Prime Minister has said (to thank Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi) that his life was saved. This is a big farce and I say this categorically,” he said.
The Congress leader said those associated with the BJP and the RSS may not have unfurled as many tricolours as were wrapped around the bodies of Punjabis, who laid down their lives for the sake of the country, PTI reported.
Stating Punjab is considered as the country’s “sword arm” he added that the BJP leaders must hence stop this dirty politics.
The Prime Minister’s Punjab visit was cut short earlier on Wednesday after a “major security lapse” as he was stranded on a flyover for 20 minutes due to a blockade by the protesters, prompting the Union Home Ministry to seek an immediate report from the state government.
The state government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action.
The Punjab government has, however, maintained that there was no security lapse and ordered a probe into the incident.
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