"AAP Promised Nasha Mukt Punjab, But... ": Union Minister's Big Charge

Union minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said what the BJP-led government did for the country in the past 10 years, the Congress could not do in 60 years of its rule as he slammed the grand old party.

Mr Thakur also asserted that the Modi government is "pro-farmer" and said the BJP-led dispensation took many steps towards the welfare of the farming community.

Addressing the media in Jalandhar district, Mr Thakur also hit out at the AAP dispensation in Punjab over the issue of law and order and drug menace.

The AAP had promised "nasha mukt" (drug-free) Punjab but now the state has rather turned into "nasha yukt", he alleged.

On objections raised by opposition parties over the change in the colour of the logo of Doordarshan News from red to orange, the information and broadcasting minister asked why they hate 'kesri' colour and said it was the then I&B minister Indira Gandhi who had selected the logo of the public broadcaster.

The change in the colour of the logo of Doordarshan News from red to orange has sparked off a political row, with the opposition terming it as "grossly illegal" and reflecting a "pro-BJP bias". The public broadcaster unveiled the "new look" DD News last week.

Mr Thakur listed out various works undertaken during the Modi regime in the past 10 years.

He said the number of airports in the country were 74 in 2014 which now increased to 150 while the length of national highways jumped from 96,000 km in 2014 to 1.50 lakh km.

"There were only seven AIIMS and now there are 22. There were 16 IIMs and now there are 23. There were 380 medical colleges and now 706, there were 484 universities and today the number increased to 1,100," he said.

On steps taken for the Sikh community, Mr Thakur said the Modi government built the Kartarpur corridor” which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district.

The government built a ropeway in Hemkund Sahib, brought copies of the Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan, announced 'Veer Bal Diwas' to mark the martyrdom day of the sons of tenth Sikh Guru and setting up a special investigation team for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, among other, he said.

"What the Modi government did in 10 years for Punjab and the country could not be done by the Congress in 60 years," the Union minister said.

On the allegations that the Constitution will be changed and democracy will end if the BJP comes to power again, he pointed out that it was the Congress governments at the Centre which amended the Constitution 62 times.

The Union minister claimed that the first phase of the voting in the Lok Sabha polls was in favour of the BJP.

"Today, the Congress is struggling to cross 40 seats," he said.

Replying to a question on farmers' ongoing protest in support of their various demands at Shambhu and Khanauri border points in Punjab, Mr Thakur said the Modi government is "pro-farmer" which had listened to their issues and accepted the majority of their demands.

Mr Thakur stated that the Modi government spent Rs 18.40 lakh crore on procurement of crops at minimum support price in the past 10 years as against Rs 5.50 lakh crore spent by the then Congress-led UPA government during 2004-2014.

He also said Rs 3 lakh crore was spent on Kisan Samman Nidhi and Rs 1.50 lakh crore compensation was given under Fasal Bima Yojana.

Asked whether farmers' protest could impact BJP's prospects in the polls in Punjab, Mr Thakur stated that the Modi government did not let any shortage of fertilizers, made purchase of their crops, transferred money in their bank accounts, gave them compensation and Samman Nidhi.

"If there is no deficiency from our side, then why this opposition," he asked.

Notably, farmers owing allegiance to various farmer bodies have been protesting against the BJP candidates in Punjab.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha have already said that they will oppose the BJP and will ask people to "punish" the saffron party in the Lok Sabha polls.

The SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of MSP for crops.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)