Jalandhar, July 17 (IANS) Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never visited Punjab empty‑handed and has always brought developmental initiatives for the state.
“On behalf of the people of Punjab, I thank the Prime Minister,” Dhillon said while addressing a public gathering in the presence of PM Modi and the party leadership. He noted that even today, PM Modi inaugurated projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees.
Dhillon thanked PM Modi for protecting farmers’ interests by ensuring that wheat and dairy products were excluded from the trade agreement with European countries. As he made these remarks, PM Modi, wearing a green turban symbolising Punjab’s farming community, smiled warmly.
Dhillon said the agreement with European nations would benefit Punjab, as hosiery and bicycles from Ludhiana, sports goods and leather products from Jalandhar, machinery from Batala, and Punjab’s basmati rice, fruits and vegetables would now enter 27 European countries without tariffs.
He added that it is the Modi government that has consistently increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat and paddy farmers in Punjab. He claimed that during the Congress regime, MSP increases were limited to Rs 10‑15, whereas under PM Modi, substantial hikes were given even without farmers demanding them.
Calling himself the son of a farmer, Dhillon said Punjab cannot prosper unless its farmers prosper. He asserted that the BJP government is committed to ensuring farmers’ prosperity.
Dhillon said while many economies are facing recessionary pressures, India has emerged as the world’s fifth‑largest economy with a growth rate of around seven per cent.
He expressed confidence that PM Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047 would soon become reality.
He pointed out that before 2014, India had only two mobile manufacturing units, whereas under PM Modi the number has risen to around 300.
He said that in 2027, under PM Modi’s leadership, Punjab would get a government inspired by Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Sarkar‑e‑Khalsa, which would eliminate drugs, gangsters and unemployment while restoring the state’s pride.
Expressing concern over Punjab’s economy, Dhillon said drugs, unemployment and gangsters have pushed the state into a difficult situation. He asserted that the only solution is the formation of a BJP government in Punjab in 2027.
Launching a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Dhillon claimed Punjab had slipped from first to 18th position in development rankings, while Uttar Pradesh had moved from 20th to second.
Former state BJP President Sunil Jakhar accused the AAP government of undermining constitutional and democratic values. He said Punjab was under an “evil eye” and only PM Modi could steer the state back on the right path.
Former state BJP President and MLA Ashwani Sharma said PM Modi had visited Punjab at a time when the state was facing immense challenges.
He said youth, farmers, traders and industries were all in distress and blamed the AAP government. He also described AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal as a “fake Sanatani”.
The gathering was also addressed by former Punjab BJP President Shwait Malik, Manpreet Singh Badal, Preneet Kaur, former Union Minister Vijay Sampla, Avinash Rai Khanna, Manoranjan Kalia, Ashok Mittal, former cricketer Harbhajan Singh Bhajji and Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu.
–IANS
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