Union minister and Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla today informed that the Union government had given its nod to harvesting of crops during daytime in border villages of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Pathankot and Fazilka. Speaking to media persons after the state executive meet in party’s Chandigarh headquarters, Sampla said, “In wake of the high alert issued in border-lying areas of the state and the subsequent displacement of the locals, the farmers were worried about their harvest. The Centre has granted permission for a daytime harvest and the farmers won’t have to face any problems regarding reaping, transportation and selling of their produce”. This was the first meeting of the party state executive amidst the situation arisen in the aftermath of the Army’s surgical strikes against terrorists across the LoC. A resolution was passed in the executive hailing the Army action. The state BJP said in its resolution that after the attacks India now stood in league with nations like the US and Israel, which has made the citizens proud. The resolution stated, “The Indian government has been successful in isolating Pakistan on the international front and PM Narendra Modi deserves the credit for it. The PM had been garnering international support during the past two-and-a-half years and it was due to his efforts that superpowers like the US, UK, France and Germany stood with India and against Pakistan on terrorism”.
BJP’s resolution also praised External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s statement in the UNGA, alongwith the boycotting of SAARC summit, reviewing the Indus treaty and MFN status granted to Pakistan.The resolution was placed by former state BJP chief and MLA Manoranjan Kallia, which was seconded by former state BJP chief and MLA Ashwini Sharma and former state president Rajinder Bhandari and then passed unanimously. Also the developmental works carried out by the Akali-BJP coalition government during the past 9 years in the state were discussed in the meeting.A resolution urging the party leaders and workers to follow the footsteps of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhaya was also passed during the meet. The cadres were exhorted to spread the organizations ideology and dedicate themselves to develop the nation under the leadership of PM Modi. It is to be noted that the BJP is observing this year of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s 100th birth anniversary as the Year for Welfare of the Poor.The state executive was attended by organization secretary, Dinesh Kumar, national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna, national secretary Tarun Chugh, cabinet minister Anil Joshi, Assembly Deputy Speaker, Dinesh Babbu, former party chief and MLA Manoranjan Kalia and Ashwini Sharma, former state president, Rajinder Bhandari, MLA Som Prakash, K.D. Bhandari, Sukhjit Kaur Shahi, former minister Arunesh Shakar, Baldev Raj Chawla, Mayors, deputy-mayors of various cities, Chairmen of Trusts and Boards and state office-bearers.