Punjab BJP president Sardar 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. “Even today, he inaugurated development projects worth hundreds of crores. On behalf of the people of Punjab, I thank the Prime Minister,” Dhillon said while addressing a public gathering during PM Modi’s visit to Jalandhar.
Dhillon thanked PM Modi for protecting farmers’ interests by ensuring that wheat and dairy products were kept out of the trade agreement with European countries. As he made the remarks, the Prime Minister, wearing a green turban symbolising Punjab’s farming community, smiled warmly.
Dhillon said the trade agreement with European nations would greatly benefit Punjab. Products such 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 be able to enter 27 European countries duty-free.
He further said it was the Modi government that has consistently increased MSP for wheat and paddy farmers in Punjab. “During the Congress regime, MSP increases were limited to only Rs 10-15. Under the Modi government, MSP has seen substantial increases even without farmers having to demand them,” he claimed.
Calling himself the son of a farmer, Dhillon said he understood farmers’ concerns well and asserted that Punjab cannot prosper unless its farmers prosper. He said the BJP government is committed to ensuring farmers’ prosperity.
Expressing confidence in the Prime Minister’s vision, he said India becoming a developed nation by 2047 would soon be a reality. He added that before 2014, India had only two mobile manufacturing units, while under the Modi government, the number has increased to around 300.
Dhillon 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, gangsterism, and unemployment while restoring the state’s pride and glory.
Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar accused the AAP government of undermining constitutional and democratic values. “Punjab is under an evil eye, and only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can steer the state back on the right path,” he said. He urged the people of Punjab to elect a BJP government under Modi’s leadership to resolve the state’s problems.
Former Punjab BJP president and MLA Ashwani Sharma said Modi had visited Punjab at a time when the state was facing immense challenges. He alleged that youth, farmers, traders, and industries were all in distress and blamed the AAP government for the situation. He described AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal as a “fake Sanatani”.
The gathering was also addressed by former Punjab BJP presidents Shwet Malik, Manpreet Singh Badal, Maharani 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.