Congress party national president Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said that PM Narendra Modi has finished Punjab’s kisan (farmers) and jawan (soldiers) in the ten years of BJP-led central government.
Addressing the first Punjab Congress Workers Convention in Samrala of Ludhiana ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Kharge said that Punjab was the only state in the country where late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” fits best. “Punjab has given the country both kisan and jawan but it is unfortunate that Modi government has finished them both,” said Kharge.
Kharge also said that even as Modi government announced to repeal three black farm laws after protests by Punjab farmers, the notification for it hasn’t been issued till now. “If Congress comes to power, we will issue that notification,” said Kharge.
Kharge did not make any concrete announcement regarding alliance with AAP in Punjab under INDI bloc for Lok Sabha polls. Kharge while addressing workers said: “In some states, INDI alliance is happening, in others it is not working out.. but we have to fight.. we have to fight alone and till the end and win. It doesn’t matter who joins us and who doesn’t. We have to fight. The decision to have INDI alliance has been taken for the entire country, it’s not just about Punjab..”
On Saturday, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced in Khanna rally that AAP will contest all 13 seats in Punjab on its own without any alliance.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Navjot Sidhu once again stayed away from party’s official programme and did not attend the convention.
However, earlier in a post on X, he welcomed Kharge to Punjab. Later in another post on X, Sidhu again targeted his own party saying that during both previous Congress government tenures in Punjab, the grass root party workers were neglected and only 3 per cent were given prominent positions in the government and rest of posts were grabbed by families and relatives of the MLAs.
Kharge in his address also credited Congress for giving Bhakra Nangal dam and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to Punjab.
Also conspicuous by his absence was Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu.
