Terming the SAD-BJP alliance as firm and everlasting, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that overall development and progress of the state would get a major fillip with the formation of NDA government at centre. Addressing the mammoth gathering during a state level function to mark 30th death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, the Chief Minister vowed to make Punjab a leading state of the country with the proactive help of the NDA government at the centre. He said that within a year of the formation of the NDA government at centre the state has been immensely benefitted from it. Badal said that the state has got key projects like AIIMS, Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and HRIDAY status for holy city of Amritsar.Patting Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal for revolutionizing the Power department of the state, the Chief Minister said that due to the concerted efforts of Deputy Chief Minister Punjab was today a power surplus state. He also announced that the state government would soon embark upon a major scheme for providing basic civic amenities in the urban and rural areas of the state. Mr. Badal also listed the achievements of the state government in the field of education and healthcare.
Lashing out at the Congress party, the Chief Minister, while squarely blaming it for meting out step motherly treatment to the state, said that the Industry and Agriculture of Punjab was ruined due to regressive policies of the Congress party during its six decade long rule in the country. He said that the Congress had never given any big ticket industrial project to the state during their rule and had rather thwarted the attempt of industrialization in the state by giving incentives to the neighboring states. “The Punjabis could never forgive the Congress party as it has irrelevantly meddled in their social, political, economic and even the religious affairs” added Mr. Badal.Earlier paying rich tributes to Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, the Chief Minister said that the real homage to this great son of soil would be to uphold the hard earned peace, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the state. He said that though some forces which were inimical to the progress and development of the state were trying to fan the feelings of hatred and divisiveness in the state but the state government was committed to foil any such attempt by keeping a strict vigil over the entire situation. “We will crush the ugly head of all those forces who aspire to derail the progress and development of state” added Mr. Badal.
Recalling the supreme sacrifice made by Sant Harchand Singh Longowal to safeguard the interests of the Sikh community, the Chief Minister said that Sant Longowal was not only a great Sikh scholar and philosopher but his entire life was an inspiration for the politicians as well as common man. He said that Sant Ji had the distinction of serving the people from all the aspects whether it was religious, social or political. Mr. Badal said that Sant Ji mobilized the people against the anti-Emergency movement and Dharam Yudh Morcha to safeguard the interests of the people.The Chief Minister further said that Sant Ji had laid down his life for safeguarding the communal harmony, peace and amity to usher in an era of unprecedented development in Punjab. However he said that the then Congress Union government had back stabbed Sant Harchand Singh Longowal by not implementing the clauses of Rajeev-Longowal accord, for which the Punjabis could never forgive the Congress.
Earlier addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister and President of Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal recalled the glorious contribution of the party in the pre and post independence era. He said that Akali Dal, which was the second oldest political party in the country, has always enacted pro-poor welfare schemes to ensure the well being of poor and weaker sections of the society. Reiterating the commitment of the state government to ensure the well being of all the sections of the society, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the government would soon announce a slew of new policies aimed at welfare of the people of the state.
Coming down heavily on the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for his aristocratic lifestyle, the Deputy Chief Minister said that with his visionary and pro-people stance the Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal has saved the state from the mess created by the former Chief Minister during his regime. He said that Captain has no achievement to his credit whereas unprecedented development has taken place in the state during the last eight years of SAD-BJP alliance government. Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal categorically said that Captain Amarinder Singh and state Congress Chief Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa should stop day dreaming about assuming power in the state as the SAD-BJP alliance would again come to power after state assembly elections scheduled to take place in 2017.
The Deputy Chief Minister also listed the several pro-poor schemes like Atta-Dal, Shagun, Pension and others initiated by the alliance government. He also said that due to the strenuous efforts of the state government Punjab was today the only power surplus state in the country. Likewise, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the state would soon get wide network of four lane and six lane roads as the state government was spending Rs 20000 crore for this.
The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that in a major bonanza for the people of the state, the International Airport at Mohali would also be dedicated to nation on September 11. He said that this would be second international airport in the state first being Bathinda, which would facilitate the residents of the state by enabling them to travel abroad thereby saving their time, money and energy.
In his address Union Minister Janaab Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Sant Longowal sacrificed his life upholding the supreme democratic values. He said that the union government was fully committed for maintaining peace, communal harmony and amity in the country. Mr. Naqvi said that it was a matter of great pride and satisfaction for the entire country that Punjab has today emerged as an epitome of peace and communal harmony in the entire country.
Slamming the Congress party for hatching conspiracies to defame the Sikhs, the Union Minister said that the same Congress which had earlier labeled the brave Sikhs as terrorists has now branded them as drug addicts. He said that it was very unfortunate that the Vice President of Congress Rahul Gandhi has used his entire might to defame the hard working Punjabi youth by terming them as drug addicts.Naqvi said that the same Congress that was responsible for operation blue star and 1984 Sikh riots was now playing the game of defaming the Punjabis through such tantrums.However, he said that Punjabis would not allow the Congress to succeed in their motives and would give a befitting reply to them.
Taking a dig at Capt. Amarinder Singh, the Union Minister said that most of the leaders of Congress Parliamentary Party, comprising of around 40 odd MPs, were not aware of their Deputy leader because the former Chief Minister of Punjab had seldom visited the august house. He said that the person who insults the mandate given by the voters by not attending the proceeding of house could never be loyal towards the people of state. Lauding the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Naqvi described him as a ‘living saint’ who had dedicated his life for welfare of Punjabi.
Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Cabinet Ministers Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Rajya Sabha MPs Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mr. Avinash Rai Khanna and Mr. Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Union Minister of state Mr. Vijay Sampla, Lok Sabha MP Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Sant Balbir Singh Ghunas, Mrs. Farzaana Aalam and Babu Parkash Chand Garg, MLAs Mr. Iqbal Singh Jhunda and Mr. Gobind Singh Longowal, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. Ajoy Kumar Sharma and Deputy Commissioner Mr.Arshdeep Singh Thind.