Appreciating the successful efforts of Punjab government and security agencies at Pathankot in taking swift action against the terrorists, the union Minister for Food Processing Industry Mrs Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the anti-peace forces are behind this episode that are perturbed over the Indo-Pak relations getting better.The Union Minister said this while talking to media persons during the sangat darshan program held in different villages. Congratulating the security forces for successfully ending the operation against terrorists, she also paid tributes to the bravehearts who laid their lives for nation and said that the nation was proud of them. She also appreciated the efforts of Punjab government in laying out strategy to further curtail damage the terrorists could have caused at Pathankot airbase and said that earlier at Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, the Punjab police has given a befitting reply to the terrorists.The Union Minister said that the Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi visited Pakistan recently and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr Nawaz Sharif accorded him warm welcome giving strong indications of the improved Indo-Pak relations.
The people against peace in both countries could not bear the improving equation of two countries and hence took such cowardice action. Answering a media query she emphasized that the Mukh Mantri Tirath Darshan Yatra’s only motive was to help people have darshan of their religious places free of cost and there was no political design behind it. The Union Minister said that this yatra will help strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between people of different sects, which is not wrong on anyway. Rubbishing the claims of Congress regarding this yatra she said that when Congress was in power in the state, it failed to do any good for the people and now when SAD-BJP government has taken this initiative, the Congress was devising new tactics to belittle it.
Responding to media query on Abohar incidence she said that it was a matter of deep sorrow and that the law was taking its course. She said that strict action will be taken against those causing atrocities.
Earlier, while addressing gathering during the sangat darshan program she said that Punjab was the only state wherein the natural calamity affected farmers have already been distributed compensation. Very soon the government was also going to distribute compensation for the farm labourers of cotton belt which is Rs 64 cr, ten percent of the Rs 640 cr distributed to cotton farmers, whereas other cotton producing states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have still not given compensation to the white fly affected cotton farmers.Talking about the development works initiated she called upon people to monitor on-going projects in their villages as the community participation only can improve basic infrastructure that fuels development.The Union Minister today conducted sangat darshan in villages of Bahadargarh Jandian, Bandi, Jassi Bagh Wali, Baho Sivian and Multania wherein she listened to people’s problems, passed instructions to officers and distributed funds.Prominent among others present included former MP Mrs Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, ADC (D) Mr Varinder Kumar Sharma, SSP Mr Swapan Sharma, DTO Mr Latif Ahmed, IAS Miss Amrita Singh, district press secretary SAD Dr Om Prakash Sharma and others.