Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over his controversial remark directed at the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Addressing an election rally in Abohar ahead of February 20 polling, PM Modi said that Congress is resorting to the politics of divide and rule.
He said that the Punjab Chief Minister has insulted the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, adding that such people have no right to rule. The Prime Minister noted that Guru Gobind Singh (tenth Sikh Guru) was born in Patna and Saint Ravidas was born in Kashi (Uttar Pradesh).
"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," he said.
“Was Sant Ravidasji born in Punjab? He was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi and you say that you won’t let UP’s people enter Punjab. Will you drive out Sant Ravidas as well? Will you erase his name?” “Guru Gobind Singhji was born in Patna, Bihar. And they say that they will drive out people of Bihar. Will you tolerate this insult to Guru Gobind Singhji?” He added that people with such a divisive mindset should not be allowed to govern Punjab.
PM Modi also accused Congress of betraying farmers. "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 government at the Centre, we implemented those recommendations," he said.
"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 security and development of Punjab," the Prime Minister said.
Calling the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a 'partner in crime' of the Congress, he said that the party is spreading lies. "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."
"They are masters of lying. If pollution increases in Delhi, they abuse the farmers of Punjab. When they go to Delhi, they abuse the farmers of Punjab and when they come here, they talk about the farmers," he said.
Referring to the allegations levelled against Kejriwal by Kumar Vishwas, poet and former AAP leader, PM Modi said, "These people (AAP) want to break Punjab. These people are ready to join hands with the separatists for power. If they have to break the country to grab power, then these people are ready for that too. Their agenda and the agenda of enemies is not at all different."
Attacking the Congress government in Punjab, PM Modi said each trade is captured by the mafia in the state. He also said that because of the Congress government's policies, nobody was ready to make investments in Punjab.
In the entire Punjab, one voice is coming out and that is to make the BJP-led alliance victorious and form a 'double engine" government, the Prime Minister said.
"Double engine government means speedy progress. It means weeding out the sand mafia and drug mafia from the state. The double engine government means flourishing of trade, giving jobs and creating new avenues of self-employment," Modi said.
"Give one chance to us, give me five years and then see how the double engine government takes Punjab on a speedy path of development," he said.
He said that Punjab's election "is an important election that will decide the future of Punjab". Punjab will vote in a single phase on February 20 and the result will be announced on March 10.
READ MORE: PM Modi attacks AAP, calls it photocopy of Congress
