Amit Shah’s whirlwind tour of Punjab revs up BJP poll campaign

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Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi during his whirlwind campaigning for the Punjab polls in which he addressed huge rallies at Ludhiana, Amritsar and Patiala on Sunday.</p>
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Addressing an impressive gathering at Ludhiana’s Daresi ground, Shah said that if AAP came to power it would release all the terrorists lodged in jails endangering peace and tranquility of the state.</p>
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"Running a state is not like doing any comedy show. It is a serious matter and Bhagwant Mann, AAP's chief ministerial candidate is a comedian bereft of qualities to govern the state," Shah said.</p>
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Hitting out at Channi the Union Home Minister said that how can a person who could not provide safe passage to the Prime Minister during his visit to Ferozepur, be expected to keep the state safe."</p>
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He questioned Kejriwal, "Why did he not have a single Sikh or Punjabi as a minister in his Delhi government."</p>
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Terming AAP's promise to make Punjab drug-free as hollow, Shah said that Kejriwal had opened liquor shops at every nook and corner of Delhi.</p>
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Amit Shah said that Congress was responsible for the massacre of Sikhs but the Modi dispensation sent the culprits to jail and gave compensation to the victim-families.</p>
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He said unemployment, drugs, and farmers' plight were the main issues faced by the people of Punjab. He called Punjab the soul of India as it made the country self-sufficient in food production.</p>
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The Union Home Minister referred to India's surgical strikes against Pakistan as part of zero tolerance towards terrorism. "If you strengthen the hands of Modi, the NDA will promise you a terror-free country," he said.</p>
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Shah pointed out that the Modi government had raised the defence budget by three times and brought about one-rank one-pay (OROP) policy to benefit defence personnel.</p>
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Reaching out to the farmers of the state, he pointed out that the Modi government had made th maximum purchase of crops on minimum support price (MSP) , sending payments directly to the accounts of the farmers.</p>
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Talking about conversions, Amit Shah said that if the NDA government was formed in Punjab, it will stop the conversion of Sikhs and Hindus to other religions.</p>
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AAP Convenor Kejriwal and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also addressed rallies at various places in Punjab on Sunday.</p>
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Kejriwal lambasted Congress for giving the most corrupt government to the state. He declared that if AAP was formed, the Delhi model of development would be implemented in Punjab.</p>
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Priyanka came out strongly against AAP saying that the Delhi model was a hoax and people should vote for Congress.</p>
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<strong>Also read: </strong> <a href="http:// https://www.indianarrative.com/india-news/old-guard-in-punjab-congress-say-high-command-has-been-misled-party-is-fielding-tainted-candidates-149936.html">Old Guard in Punjab Congress say High Command has been misled & party is fielding tainted candidates</a></p>