Mr Vajpayee, reportedly on the advice of the SAD-BJP Government, has tried to woo urban electorate by announcing sewerage and drinking water proposals worth Rs 201 crore for urban centres besides a separate proposal for sewers and water of Rs 40 crore for Amritsar. Other proposals include, Rs 450 crore for the four-laning of the Jalandhar-Amritsar-Wagah road and Rs 10 crore for building houses for the poor. The Union Urban Development Ministry has approved Rs 121 crore for certain other development schemes for urban areas in the state

Mr Vajpayee handed over the documents pertaining to the approval of the urban schemes to the Union Minister, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in absence of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who could not attend the function as he had a fracture in the morning. After addressing the meeting, Mr Vajpayee also informed Mr Dhindsa and others that he also had cleared a proposal worth Rs 500 crore pertaining to the Shahpur Kandi canal project. Addressing the huge public meeting, Mr Vajpayee said efforts were being made to build a new India and special attention was being paid to develop Punjab on modern lines.

Upset over the absence of Mr Badal at the meeting, Mr Vajpayee prayed for his early recovery.

On Afghanistan, Mr Vajpayee said that India was set to play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and development of the war-torn country. Hoping that war in Afghanistan would end soon, Mr Vajpayee said that India’s relations with Afghanistan were rooted in the centuries old history. He said that following the visit of Guru Nanak Dev to that country 500 years back, Sikhs settled there in large numbers afterwards. Later major part of Afghanistan remained part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kingdom. To further press the point of India’s deep connection with Afghanistan he referred the famous “Kabuliwalla” story of Rabindra Nath Tagore. In a way, Mr Vajpayee, tried to convey the message to all concerned that the India’s participation to determine the future of that country was fully justified and relevant. He said that Kabul had been freed from the control of evil forces.

The Prime Minister said that the Sikhs, who had migrated from Afghanistan, would be rehabilitated in that country after the situation normalised there. Many people, including Sikhs and Muslims had to leave that country because Taliban were committing excesses against them in the name of religion.

Coming to the Kashmir issue, Mr Vajpayee said that people in Kashmir had started waging a war against terrorism. Kashmiris, who had been fed up with violence, have started fighting the terrorists. He said earlier Punjabis, played a crucial role to stamp out terrorism from Punjab.

Paying warm tributes to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Mr Vajpayee, said that a comprehensive book should be published about his secular rule. There was a need to educate the countrymen about the achievements of Maharaja during his 40-year rule.

In Mr Badal’s absence, his son, Mr Sukhbir Singh, read out his message at the meeting. The Chief Minister in his message said that following in the footsteps of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab promoted and consolidated Punjabi unity. Efforts were again being made to disturb such unity but the Government was determined to expose the forces behind such a design.

Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, President of the SGPC, welcomed Mr Vajpayee and his cabinet colleagues to the meeting. He said that the Badal-Vajpayee combination had proved good not only for Punjab but also for the country.

Mr Dhindsa, showering praise on Mr Badal said the gathering at today’s public meeting was an indication that people in the state were behind the SAD-BJP Government. Projecting, Mr Badal, as Chief Minister, for the next term, Mr Dhindsa appealed participants at the meeting that they should pledge today to elect the SAD-BJP Government for the next five years. He said that Mr Badal had created environment congenial for the development of the state.

Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, and his counterpart Prem Kumar Dhumal, said that they would extend full cooperation to the SAD-BJP combine in the Assembly elections. Using strong words against the Congress, Mr Chautala urged the people of Punjab that they should give a crushing defeat to the Congress. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister, Jagmohan, Punjab Minister, Balramji Dass Tandon, President of the Punjab unit of the BJP, Brij Lal Rinwa, General Secretary of the SAD, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Vice-Chairman of the Minorities Commission, Tirlochan Singh also spoke.

Prime Minister, who earlier laid the foundation stone of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, said Rs 40 crore would be exclusively spent on solving the water shortage in the holy city of Amritsar.