Jaswant Singh Gandam
PHAGWARA: Setting the record straight, Punjab BJP President and Rajya Sabha member Shwait Malik has clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was coming to the border district Gurdaspur in Punjab on January 3 next year not to kickstart the NDA’s election campaign for coming Lok Sabha polls or sounding election bugle, as was being given out in a section of media.
Talking to newsmen here after addressing workers’ preparatory meeting for PM’s rally, Malik claimed that it was a ‘Shukrana’ (thanks-giving) rally where SAD-BJP allies will thank PM for his various gifts to Punjabis, especially Sikhs, in the form of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, exemption of Golden Temple’s ‘langar’ from GST and life term sentence to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.
“PM Modi is not like former PM Manmohan Singh or Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh who remained confined to their offices. Modi is India’s most popular PM both at home and abroad. He enjoyed meeting people of different states and having interaction with them. His visit to Punjab – the first ever to any state in coming New Year, is a New Year gift to Punjabis, especially Sikhs.”
Claiming that Sikhs’ prayer for ‘khuley darshan didarey’ (free access to) of Sikh shrines left out in Pakistan was being fulfilled after 70 years due to Modi. Malik counted various other projects being undertaken by Central government in connection with coming 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikh faith.
