Calling himself the future Prime Minister of India, Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at Congress candidate and local MP Pawan Kumar Bansal saying that the future Prime Minister knows more about Chandigarh than the city MP.
“Jab aandhi chalte hai, toh Pawan ko koi yaad nahi rakhta,” said Modi, while referring to Pawan Kumar Bansal during his address at the Bharat Vijay Rally in Chandigarh. The saffron party supporters cheered Modi throughout his address and chanted slogans like Narendra Modi Zindabad, Narendra Modi Kamal Nishaan, Maang Raha Hai Hindustan.
Accusing Congress of spreading corruption and mis-governance in the country, Modi said, “The party which is talking about dealing with corruption has now given ticket to the accused in Adarsh scam and Railway scam, making a reference to Ashok Chavan and Pawan Kumar Bansal.” “If Bansal was innocent then why he resigned from the Railway Ministry in the first place,” asked Modi, adding that it is apparent that the Congress does not want to deal with corruption issue.”
Recalling his association with the city when he was in-charge of Chandigarh party unit from 1996 to 1999, he said, “After many years, I have got an opportunity to come back to Chandigarh and it is like coming back to my home. I have lived in Chandigarh and I am well aware of the problems in Chandigarh.” lashing out at Bansal, Modi said, “Chandigarh could have become a tourism and educational hub but the incumbent did not do anything for the city in last 15 years. The IITs, IIMs can be established in the city but the Congress failed to do so in the past.”
“The city comes directly under the Union Home Ministry. And, just like national capital Delhi, Chandigarh is also witnessing a spurt in crime against women,” he added. Blaming the Home Minister for not doing enough for the union territories, Modi said the people who do not work gets Home Ministry. Bringing up the issue of tourism, the party’s prime ministerial candidate said that Chandigarh has a potential to become a tourism hub.
The city which is a gateway to the blessed land of Punjab, hills of Himachal Pradesh and other States, can be marketed as a tourism hub but the Congress’ local MP did not work in this area due to lack of his vision. In his typical style of connecting to the people, Modi kept asking questions about Congress’ performance in Chandigarh. Modi said, “Chandigarh seat is important for me and I have come to the city to make an appeal. My victory would be incomplete if the BJP does not win Chandigarh’s seat.”
“This time, do not let people like Pawan Bansal win from the city. Chandigarh deserves a pro-development Government,” he added. Modi, was the in-charge of the party units of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh from the year 1996 to 1999, and looked after the election campaigns in the north region. And, it was during his tenure as the in-charge of the party unit that the BJP witnessed its two victories in the lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh. The BJP’s senior leader Satya Pal Jain had won from the city parliamentary seat in the years 1996 and 1998.