Terming that the national Vice President of the Congress party Rahul Gandhi was not even aware of the basics of Agriculture and village life of the country, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that a person like him was a complete misfit for the post of Prime Minister of nation. Addressing the gatherings during the Sangat Darshan program of Bathinda Rural assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that a country where nearly 60% of population resides in the villages could not be run by a person who was not acquainted to the problems faced by the people residing in them. Citing an example, he said that how could a Doctor treat the patients if he was not aware of their problem. Mr. Badal said that the young scion of Nehru Gandhi family was not only an inexperienced leader and politically naive but he was ignorant about the basic topography of the nation, due to which it would be disastrous for the country if he was selected for the coveted post of Prime Minister of the nation. Batting strongly for making Mr. Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Minister said that only a visionary, strong and experienced leader like him could take the country ahead on the path of prosperity and inclusive growth. He said that in today’s crucial scenario when the social maladies like unemployment, corruption, poverty, starvation and others were ruling the roost in the country, Mr. Modi was the only ray of hope for the countrymen to march forward for making India a prosperous and progressive nation. Mr. Badal bemoaned that it was unfortunate that despite of more than 65 years of Independence the country has not been able to shed the tag of underdeveloped nation due to the ill conceived policies of the successive Congress led Governments at the centre.
Impressing upon the people to elect the Gujarat Chief Minister for the coveted post of Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said that the time has come when the country must elect a decisive leadership so that an era of unprecedented development could be witnessed in the nation.Coming down heavily of the Congress party for meting out step motherly treatment to the state, the Chief Minister said that instead of rewarding the hard working and resilient Punjabis for their immense contribution in making the country self reliant in food production and safeguarding its borders, the successive Congress governments had adopted a discriminatory posture towards the state.
He said that none of the Punjabi could ever forget that the Congress had denied the state of its capital, legitimate share in river waters, Punjabi speaking areas besides irrelevantly meddling in its social, political, economic and even religious affairs. Mr. Badal said that due to the wrong policies of the Union government the farmers of the state, who had played a pro-active role in making our country self reliant in food production, were reeling under a whopping debt of Rs 32000 crore. Likewise, he said that mass exodus of industry was taking place due to denial of economic package to this border state on the pattern of those given to the neighboring hilly states.Reiterating that Union government must give ‘Royalty on water and food grains’ to the state on the pattern of the same given to other states for supplying coal and other minerals in the country, the Chief Minister said that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state had over exploited the only available natural resources of the state in terms of water and fertility of the soil to make the country self reliant in food production. However, he lamented that this immense contribution of the state’s farmers’ has never been recognized by the country adding that it was the high time that the nation must repay the peasantry of the state by giving them royalty on water and food grains supplied to the country.The Chief Minister further said that due to the stupendous efforts of the state government Punjab was leading the country in almost every field. He said that besides promoting the ethos of communal harmony, peace and prosperity, the state government has laid special focus on the overall development of the state and prosperity of its people. Badal said that a result of the concerted efforts of the state government, Punjab was today leading the country in fields of Health care and Education.The Chief Minister said that the state government was fully committed to ensure the welfare of all strata of the society for which path breaking initiatives in form of pro-poor welfare schemes like Atta-Dal, Mai Bhago Istri Vidya, Shagun, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima, Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship scheme and others have been taken by them.
He said that special focus was being laid on persification of agriculture so as to safeguard the future of the farmers by supplementing their income. Likewise, Mr. Badal said that in order to curtail the heavy expenditure meted out on farming the Agriculture implements were being given to the farmers through Agro Service Centers on custom hiring basis, for which the state government was giving 50% subsidy to these centers.Exhorting the people to ensure their fulsome support and cooperation to the Lok Sabha MP Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the coming general elections, the Chief Minister said that due to the persistent efforts of Mrs. Badal, the Bathinda Lok Sabha segment has witnessed massive development in last few years. He said that Mrs. Badal has nurtured the Lok Sabha with full commitment so as to ensure the welfare of the residents of this region. Badal also lauded the MP for her meticulous planning to solve the issues pertaining to this part of the state.Later on talking to the media persons at village Faridkot Kotli, the Chief Minister said that the recently constituted third front comprising of 11 political parties would hardly have any impact in the coming general elections. He said that at present a strong ‘Modi wave’ was blowing across the nation to constitute the NDA government at the centre and such fronts would not be able to make any perceptible change in it. Mr. Badal said that these parties might be able to keep their committed votes intact but a large number of other voters would vote for Mr. Modi.Meanwhile welcoming a large number of Congress workers into the SAD fold in villages Rai Ke Kalan and Faridkot Kotli, the Chief Minister said that these workers would be given due respect in the Akali Dal.The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Mr. Darshan Singh Kotfatta, Deputy Commissioner Mr. KK Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. GS Bhullar and Additional Deputy Commissioner Mrs. Sonali Giri.