Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said it is only the National Democratic Alliance that has a vision of a 'nawan' (new) Punjab to develop its agriculture and industry and the state does not need the "hollow promises" of other parties.
Addressing a virtual rally for assembly segments of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary constituencies, PM Modi said the BJP and NDA allies have always stood with Sikh traditions and can take them forward with the right intention.
Attacking the Congress, he accused the grand old party of indulging in the massacre of Sikhs. "But we got the guilty of genocide punished," said PM Modi, in an apparent reference to the 1984-anti-Sikh riots.
"Congress could not keep Kartarpur (Sahib) in India. But we opened the way to Kartarpur," he said.
The NDA has a vision of 'nawan' Punjab and a track record of delivering on the ground, he said, adding that Punjab does not need hollow promises of new parties.
Punjab needs modernisation at every level, which is beyond the capability of Congress and least of those who want to convert Delhi into "jhuggi jhopdi" (slum), he said, in a veiled attack on the Aam Aadmi Party.
He urged the voters to be cautious of those "who made lofty speeches on the menace of drug addiction, but instead of helping the people, they took the disease to Delhi".
"For some people, Punjab has only been a tool for power," he said and asked what had the parties which ruled the state for decades done for the farmers.
"These parties do not have any roadmap to free the farmers of Punjab from debt, from barren land, from the cancer-giving drinking water," he said.
The farmers of Punjab need modern facilities for seeds, markets, cold storage, food parks and food processing industries, he said.
"Farmers need the best connectivity to export their produce. Our double engine government will work faster on all these areas," he promised.
PM Modi said a Border Area Development Authority will be constituted to develop the areas near the frontiers and Rs 1 lakh crore will be spent only on infrastructure in the state in the next five years.
"Today, I am seeking your cooperation for the development that Punjab deserves...We have to work towards building a new Punjab while following the teachings of equality and common good given by our Gurus," he said.
"Working for Punjabiyat and Sikh tradition is an act of service and privilege for me," he said.
The BJP is fighting the state assembly polls in alliance with the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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