Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, addressing the people from the sacred land of Sri Muktsar Sahib, called upon Punjabis to reclaim their lost glory and move towards making Punjab the number one state in the country through development, good governance and politics guided by national interest.
Paying obeisance to the First Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, all the Guru Sahibs, Sahibzadas and great personalities, the Chief Minister said that the holy land of Sri Muktsar Sahib stands witness to the unparalleled sacrifices of Chali Mukte, Bhai Maha Singh Ji and Mai Bhago Ji. He said that Punjab and Haryana share a common culture, language and emotional bond.
He said he had come before the people of Punjab not as the Chief Minister of a neighbouring state but as a younger brother and a well-wisher. He said that the people of Punjab had earlier given opportunities to the Congress and later to the Aam Aadmi Party, but neither met the expectations of the people.
He accused Congress of corruption, dynastic politics and obstructing development, while alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party had turned Punjab into a political laboratory and failed to fulfil its promises. The Chief Minister said that the Aam Aadmi Party had made tall promises in Punjab, but today every section of society was asking where the promised change was.
He pointed out that the promise of providing ₹1,100 per month to women had not been fulfilled even after four years. In contrast, he said, the Haryana Government had begun providing ₹2,100 per month to women from poor families under the Deendayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, with crores of rupees already transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts.
He questioned the AAP government in Punjab over issues relating to drug abuse, crime, illegal mining, financial mismanagement and deteriorating law and order. He said that Punjab's youth were struggling to find employment and that thousands of young people were being compelled to seek illegal routes to migrate abroad.
He said that the most serious crisis facing Punjab was the growing menace of drugs, which had devastated many families and endangered the future of the youth. Sh. Saini said that incidents of drug trafficking, gang wars, extortion and crime had created an atmosphere of fear among ordinary citizens.
He said that traders, industrialists and common people were worried about their security and that criminals no longer appeared to fear the law. Speaking on farmers' issues, the Chief Minister said that the Haryana Government was procuring 24 crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). During the last 11 crop seasons, payments amounting to ₹1.64 lakh crore for MSP procurement had been transferred directly into the bank accounts of 12 lakh farmers.
He said that, in contrast, farmers in Punjab were still struggling for their rights and for the implementation of electoral promises. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party was working on the principle of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas."
He said that the BJP does not merely make announcements but delivers results. He claimed that out of the 217 promises made in the Haryana Assembly election manifesto, 66 had been fulfilled within one and a half years, while work on the remaining promises was progressing rapidly.
Appealing to the people of Punjab, Sh. Saini urged them to make the right decision for the future of their children, the prosperity of Punjab and the building of a developed India. He expressed confidence that Punjab would once again script a new chapter of development, prosperity and pride.
Among those present on the occasion were programme organiser and party leader Smt. Manveer Kaur Gill, the Chief Minister's Political Secretary Sh. Tarun Bhandari, State General Secretary Sardar Dayal Singh Sodhi, Muktsar District President Satish Asija, Assembly In-charge Rajesh Pathela, former MP Sardar Jagmeet Singh Brar, Rahul Sidhu, Pooja Kakkar, Balivinder Singh Minkle, Gurcharan Singh, Amandeep, Devdutt Sharma and a large number of distinguished persons.