Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and said they had a detailed discussion on various issues concerning development and law and order in the state. “During the 35-minute meeting, we discussed issues like law and order, the drug menace, and gangsterism in the state,” Dhillon told PTI over the phone. “The prime minister told me that he would visit Punjab whenever he is called,” said Dhillon, who assumed charge as Punjab BJP chief in June, months before the state goes to polls early next year. Sharing details of the meeting, Dhillon said it was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, during which “the prime minister listened to every issue with great seriousness”. He said Modi is deeply concerned about Punjab and is already aware of the state's prevailing circumstances.
During the discussion, the prime minister also shared his experiences of working in Punjab as a BJP 'karyakarta'. “Despite occupying the country's highest office, Prime Minister Modi remains closely connected with Punjab at the grassroots level,” Dhillon said in a statement later.
The discussion included special initiatives for the welfare of farmers and labourers, expansion of industries in Punjab, attracting fresh investments, and restoring the state as one of the country's leading industrial hubs, so that the future of its youth can be secured, Dhillon said. “Just as Gujarat, and later the entire country, witnessed unprecedented development and progress under the leadership of Modi, Punjab too needs a double-engine BJP government so that the state can achieve similar milestones of growth and prosperity,” Dhillon said. “The prime minister’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment towards Punjab will provide a new direction to the state's development,” he added.
Dhillon also alleged that due to the AAP government’s directionless policies, Punjab is steadily falling behind, both economically and administratively. “Farmers and labourers, who form the backbone of the state's economy, are passing through a period of severe distress, while the AAP government has confined itself to false claims and publicity,” he alleged.
Dhillon also claimed that the deteriorating law and order situation and poor industrial policies have forced industries to move out of Punjab, leaving the state's youth struggling in search of employment. While the AAP government has failed on every front, the BJP remains fully committed to accelerating Punjab's development, serving its people, and bringing the state back on the path of progress with complete dedication and sincerity, he said. Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP will establish a double-engine government in Punjab based on its proven model of development, he claimed. The prime minister had visited Jalandhar on July 17, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation for rail and road infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,470 crore, including 75 redeveloped railway stations across India.
He had then attacked the AAP government on various issues, including law and order, debt and corruption.