Punjab BJP thanks PM ahead of his visit, attacks govt over bomb threats

A day before the prime ministers visit to Punjab, the state BJPs core committee on Saturday passed a resolution, expressing gratitude to Narendra Modi, saying his visit will further strengthen communal harmony in the state.

A day before the prime minister's visit to Punjab, the state BJP's core committee on Saturday passed a resolution, expressing gratitude to Narendra Modi, saying his visit will further strengthen communal harmony in the state. Modi will visit Dera Ballan on the occasion of the 649th Guru Ravidas Jayanti on Sunday. He will inaugurate the civil terminal of the Halwara airport in Punjab and visit Adampur airport, where he will unveil its new name -- Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport. A meeting of the BJP's core committee was held here under the leadership of state president Sunil Jakhar. Attendees included national secretary Narinder Singh Raina, working state president Ashwani Sharma, national parliamentary board member Iqbal Singh Lalpura and general secretary (organisation) Manthri Srinivasulu. During the meeting, the party outlined its strategy for the coming days and passed two major resolutions, a party statement said. The prime minister understands the sentiments of the people of Punjab and is visiting the state to pay tribute to Guru Ravidas on a day when the Union Budget will also be presented in Parliament, Jakhar said. He added that the party's core committee passed a resolution expressing gratitude to the prime minister. This visit would further strengthen communal harmony in Punjab, according to Jakhar. Speaking about the second resolution passed, the party chief in the state noted that just ahead of the prime minister's visit, anti-national elements have been issuing bomb threats in Jalandhar, which expose the ''failure'' of the Punjab government and the police department. He said the party has passed a condemnation resolution against the Punjab government for failing to maintain law and order. He said if the security situation is like this even before Modi's visit, ''one can easily imagine the atmosphere of fear in which ordinary people of Punjab are living''. Jakhar further alleged that instead of deploying the police to restore law and order, the Punjab government is using it to ''silence its opponents and curb media freedom''. He asserted that the government will not be allowed to take away media freedom and the people's freedom of expression. The BJP leader accused Bhagwant Mann of being reduced to a mere ''proxy'' chief minister. Addressing Arvind Kejriwal, he said that the ''decline'' of the AAP in Delhi began when ''facts'' about his so-called Sheesh Mahal residence came to light, and now the secrets of a similar alleged Sheesh Mahal in Punjab are also ''beginning to surface''. He added that the people of Punjab have firmly decided that the party which came to power in the name of change has caused ''significant damage'' to the state, and in the next elections, they will remove it to prevent further harm.

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