Ludhiana will be developed as ‘textile hub’, Gobindgarh ‘steel city’: Narendra Modi

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, February 8

Giving a new hope to the residents, especially industrialists, of two leading industrial hubs in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced to develop Ludhiana as a ‘textile hub’ and Mandi Gobindgarh as a ‘steel city’.

Addressing his maiden ‘Fateh’ rally through videoconferencing for the electorate of Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib districts ahead of the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls, which supporters and leaders of the BJP and its alliance partners viewed at a special screening arranged here, Modi said the border state has witnessed an exodus of industry as the successive governments have failed to develop and incentivise the industrialisation.

“Mandi Gobindgarh is known as a steel city but was never developed and similarly Ludhiana is a textile hub which lacked facilities and opportunities,” he rued, declaring, “We will provide all ultra-modern facilities and create unmatched opportunities to ensure both the industrial cities reclaim their famous tags and compete in the international market with best infrastructure.”

Calling Ludhiana as Manchester of India, the PM launched an all-out attack on the state’s ruling Congress and the main Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and held them responsible for all ills confronting the country, especially Punjab.

“The Congress is not capable of coming up with development policies for the state,” said Modi, while exhorting the people of Punjab to vote for the BJP-led alliance to opt for a brighter future and development.

Assuring ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas’, which he said is the “basic mantra” of the BJP-led NDA and its mission is to work for the country and its development, the PM accused the Congress of assassinating Sikhs, leaving Punjab to burn in the fire of terrorism and failing to keep Kartarpur Sahib in India to remain in power for several years.

“Today, there is the BJP and NDA on one side whose target is Nawa Punjab. History has witnessed that the strength of Punjab has been strengthening the country. It has been the identity of Punjab to keep India ahead,” he said, asserting that the BJP-led NDA’s goal is to create a “Nawan (new) Punjab” and that they have the vision to translate this goal into reality.

“Our goal is to create a Nawan Punjab. We have the vision and a track record of work,” the PM said, while adding, “Working for Punjabiyat and the Sikh culture is my privilege.”

Modi promised to constitute a border area development authority and spend Rs 1 lakh crore exclusively for infrastructure development in Punjab if the BJP-led alliance is elected to power.

He also announced a commission for helping the terrorist victims, concrete house to each poor family and blocking the supply of drugs and arms from across the border in the state.

Assuring that the BJP along with its allies has come up with a vision and roadmap for ensuring development and creating trust in Punjab, the PM read out their 11-point ‘sankalp patra’ (resolution document), which he said is for all those Punjabis who think and work for Punjab.

Stating that the BJP always stood for the Sikh community, Modi attacked the opposition parties, saying, “There are some people for whom Punjab has only remained a path to gain political power and they let Punjab burn in the fire of terrorism to remain in power.”

Taking a jibe at the Congress and the AAP for declaring chief ministerial candidates for Punjab, he said, “This election is not to see who will become CM, minister and MLA but to give impetus to the development and pull out Punjab of the state of uncertainty prevailing here.”

“These parties have no roadmap to bring out farmers from the rising debt, save lands from turning barren and stop supply of cancerous water for drinking purpose,” the PM asserted, while asking what the parties, which ruled Punjab for decades, gave to the state’s farmers.

Assuring that new industry will come to Punjab if a “workable” government is formed in the state, Modi said, “Punjab farmers need modern facilities for ensuring direct marketing of their produce, best connectivity for export, modern cold storage, food parks and food processing industry, which the BJP-led double engine government will ensure.”

He listed out the development projects, especially Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, on which Rs 40,000 crore is being spent in the Punjab territory alone, undertaken in the border state under the Centrally-sponsored projects.

The Prime Minister concluded his speech by raising ‘Bharat Mata ki jai” slogan thrice, which the viewers reciprocated by raising their both hands.

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