Kamal Ghorui
KILLI CHAHAL (MOGA): Union home minister Amit Shah sounded the bugle for the 2027 Punjab assembly election with a ‘badlav rally’ in Moga, urging people to give BJP “ik mauka” (one chance), and promising that the party’s first legislation would be an anti-conversion bill. Shah also promised to rid the state of debts, drugs and corruption, while indicating that BJP was no longer looking at piggybacking on Akali Dal in the state. “Under AAP, religious conversions have reached alarming levels. A BJP govt in Punjab will bring its first bill to ban religious conversions,” Shah told a large gathering in Killi Chahal village on Saturday. Shah indicated that BJP would go it alone in 2027, and expressed confidence that the party would form govt in Punjab. “It is the beginning of BJP’s campaign. Whenever we came to Punjab, we came as the younger brother, but today I say, BJP is fighting 2027 election to make its govt,” he said. Training guns on Aam Aadmi Party and Congress, Shah said the two parties had pushed Punjab into a financial mess, drugs and corruption. “Only PM Modi and BJP can build a drug-free and development-oriented Punjab. BJP will make Punjab drug-free within two years of forming govt in the state,” he said. Shah said Punjab was the granary of the country and its jawans protected the nation, but today the state had “only became an ATM for (AAP national convener Arvind) Kejriwal”. “This govt represents breaking of promises. This is a govt that’s neck-deep in corruption. The CM should be ashamed that four ‘subedars’ from Delhi are sitting here and looting the state, and he can’t utter a word,” he further said. There was complete lawlessness in Punjab under AAP, Shah said, citing the murders of three sarpanches earlier this year. CM Bhagwant Mann’s “only job is to take Arvind Kejriwal along on Punjab govt plane wherever he would go in the country. The CM is reduced to just a pilot”, he said. Shah also accused AAP and Congress, particularly Rahul Gandhi, of “telling lies” and misleading farmers on the India-US trade deal. He said industry was leaving Punjab and farmers were left in the lurch. “You gave opportunities to Congress, Akalis and AAP in the past. Now, give an opportunity to BJP. We shall bring a change in Punjab,” the home minister added. “Congress sent tanks to Akal Takht, damaging Sikh-Hindu unity. Punjab’s development is possible only through unity of both communities. Had Congress truly respected the gurus, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur would not have been in Pakistan. Modi govt opened the Kartarpur Corridor, enabling devotees to visit the shrine,” Shah said. After opening his speech with “Jo Bole So Nihal”, he paid respect to the Sikh Gurus and said: “This turban (pointing to his saffron coloured turban) symbolises the debt the entire country owes the Gurus.” There would have been no Hindus in India if Guru Teg Bahadur had not been there. “His sacrifice sustained the country,” Shah said. He also paid respects to Maharishi Valmiki, Guru Ravidas, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
