PTI
Jalandhar
Launching a scathing attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused it of following political opportunism to further its gains and said the party was a “thing of the past” which the people of Punjab must not trust.
He also said Congress is a “sinking ship” and people should not board it as it would not help them reach anywhere.
Addressing an election rally here, he also referred to the politically sensitive issue of Sutlej Yamuna Canal and said Punjab has the right to use water for irrigation.
Modi said waters from Indus river which flow into Pakistan as waste will be brought to Punjab. Haryana and Punjab are locked in a bitter legal and emotional battle over the issue for the past several years.
With Rahul Gandhi raking up the issue of drug menace in the state at a rally in Majitha, Modi hit back at him, saying, “Some people are taking politics to a new low by tarnishing the image of the youth of Punjab.” He also said the pride of Punjabis has been tarnished by such statements and the Assembly polls in the state are the best way to reply to such remarks.
Continuing his broadside against Congress, he said the party is “like water and changes it shape to suit its political needs”.
“It is a strange party. It tied up with the Left in West Bengal to survive in the state. Whatever they (Left) gave (as seats), it accepted...In Uttar Pradesh, it attacked the Samajwadi Party in its yatras. Then it went for a pact...It saw an opportunity after a feud in SP...,” Modi said.
Dubbing “political opportunism” as the “forte” of Congress, he said the country is witnessing the results of “politics of destruction” the country has seen in the last 70 years. “Now, we have started politics of development,” he said.
Referring to demonetisation, he claimed he has been facing “atrocities” for the past three months. “Modi hun. Zulm ke samne jhukta nahin (I am Modi. I do not bow before atrocities),” he said.
The prime minister said his drive against corruption is an apolitical affair aimed at ridding the country of black money.
“But people who have amassed illegal wealth in the past 70 years are worried and are attacking me as they are still unable to digest the decision,” he said.
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AAP Pb manifesto: Laptop for students, low power tariff, Dalit Dy CM, no property tax
Chandigarh: AAP on Friday released a populist manifesto for Punjab, promising laptops for all government school students, waiver on residential property tax, setting up of an NRI board, 33 per cent reservation for woman in government jobs and giving the state a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister if it comes to power.
The manifesto, on the lines of the party's promise in Delhi in 2015, also says the AAP government will set up Aam Aadmi canteens at sub-division and district levels where one time meal will be available for Rs 5, and reduce the power tariff to half for usages up to 400 unit.
A team of AAP leaders led by Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh released the manifesto here, which also promises that Amritsar and Anandpur Sahib will be declared as holy cities.
Singh, who is national general secretary of AAP, said all promises made by them in the previous six manifestos released for different categories “are an agreement with the people of Punjab and AAP will fulfil each promise”.
He said welfare of the Dalits, BPL families, employees, farmers and women would be top on agenda of the AAP government as he declared the post of Deputy Chief Minister would be given to a Dalit MLA.
It said it has also decided to launch a health insurance scheme under which every resident of state would be eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakhs in private hospitals.
The party also announced that alleged mafia in transport, liquor and sand mining would be demolished and these sectors would be opened for general public.
“The passenger buses would be run by public transport and permits will be given to the unemployed youth. Similarly, the monopoly in liquor and sand mining would be broken and contracts would be given to youth,” AAP said.
The party the measure would help AAP achieve its target of creating 25 lakh new jobs in the state.
AAP alleged the previous government had failed to address the problems NRIs face.
“AAP will set up an NRI board and properties of NRIs grabbed illegally by SAD and Congress leaders will be evacuated within 15 days with certain exceptions due to court cases,” it said.
“The DCs and SSPs would be directly responsible in case of any incidents of land grabbing of NRIs,” AAP said.
AAP said Jan Lok Pal and Human Right Commission would be given more teeth to provide corruption-free government and also to uphold the human rights.
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Amarinder to be Congress's Punjab CM face: Rahul
Majitha: Setting at rest speculation, Rahul Gandhi today announced that Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh will be the party's chief ministerial face in the high-stakes Assembly polls.
74-year-old Amarinder, who is fighting his last election, will be the next Chief Minister, if the party forms government in Punjab.
Rahul, addressing the rally in the pocket-borough of Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, said Amarinder alone can change Punjab and set it right along with the support of the people of the state and there is no other way out.
Ruling SAD and AAP have been mocking Congress, asking why the party was not declaring Amarinder as its chief ministerial candidate for the February 4 Assembly polls.
“Punjab will be run by its people. I want to tell you that Punjab's chief minister will be from Punjab and Punjab's chief minister is sitting here. Amarinder Singh is Punjab's chief ministerial candidate and he will be Punjab's chief minister,” he said, prompting leaders to congratulate Amarinder on the dais.
Rahul said Punjab will not be run by “remote control” as it does not need one, taking a veiled dig at Kejriwal and accusing him of wanting to become Delhi and Punjab chief minister at the same time.
He also made a scathing attack on the ruling Badals, accusing them of ruining Punjab and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of siding with them and talking of removing corruption.
Rahul, who began his three-day election tour to the poll-bound state by addressing his first public meeting in the presence of Amarinder and Navjot Singh Sidhu, also attacked AAP and Kejriwal of trying to befool the people of the state by making false and empty promises.
The Congress leader said this election is not to “form a government but to save Punjabiyat” and Punjab's honour and only Congress with the help of people of the state can do it.
He also said if Congress comes to power, then the government will bring a law to deal with the drug menace in the state and put all those carrying out drugs business behind bars.
