assembly-elections

Updated: Oct 19, 2019 17:02 IST

After failing to push terrorists and arms into India, Pakistan is resorting to drug smuggling with an aim to destroying our youth, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Haryana’s Sirsa district on Saturday, the last day of campaign for October 21 assembly elections.

“The youth of Haryana must fight drug menace. It destroys not only individuals but also their families and the larger society. Our neighbours first tried to push terrorists and weapons into India. Now they have resorted to pushing in drugs to destroy our youth. We must fight drug menace as we fight terrorism,” the Prime Minister said at his Ellenabad rally.

Prime Minister Modi also touched upon the issues of water for farmers, jobs for youth, the Kartarpur corridor, abrogation of Article 370 and the alleged misdeeds of the former Congress governments in the state that is currently ruled by Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government.

Kartarpur corridor

On the corridor that links Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Kartarpur, the PM said: “Did the people responsible for marking the line of partition in 1947 not think that devotees shouldn’t be kept away from Guru by 4 km? Should Congress government not have made effort to eliminate this distance? Congress and parties affiliated to its culture never respected Indians’ culture.”

Saying that the Kartarpur corridor was almost complete, the PM added: “This opportunity has come 7 decades after independence, 70 years went by. What can be a bigger misfortune than this that we had to see a holy place from afar, through a pair of binoculars?”

Article 370

Referring to the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi said ,”Sleeping governments kept making the situation in Kashmir worse. A part of us was snatched away - PoK was formed. Some years after, Sufi tradition was finished...Leaders in Delhi thought that if they look after 1-2 families, Kashmir will be looked after...Then a move was made where Kashmiri Pandits were murdered in Kashmir, daughters were raped, and they were forced to leave Kashmir.”

In his second rally of the day, at Rewari, the Prime Minister accused Congress leaders of failing to scrap Article 370 despite having promised it in Parliament in 1964. He was addressing a rally in Rewari on the last day of election campaigning.

“During a debate in Parliament in 1964, the country’s distinguished leader got upset… there was division in the Congress. There was a demand that Article 370 be nullified and there be a debate on this issue in Parliament.

“At that time, Congress leaders, with folded hands, had said that their demand would be met and Article 370 would be nullified in one year. But the matter was again put on the back burner,” said Modi while addressing his second rally of the day, first being in Sirsa district. “What was the compulsion and what game was being played,” he asked.

Defence forces

On the steps government has taken to help the security forces the PM said. “After coming to power, we started mission to strengthen our forces. “Today, advanced submarines to advanced fighter aircraft like Rafale, they are part of our forces. Earlier government was going to seal Tejas aircraft in a box, today same aircraft is ready to serve Air Force and Navy.”

Taking about the security situation in the country, PM Modi said, “earlier there used to be bomb blasts in the country, did they stop or not? Now, terrorist are killed inside their homes. Those who nurture terrorism are crying in front of the world.”

Seeking a second term for the BJP government in the state, PM Modi said that this election Haryana will vote for the good work of the past five years, the work done for the safety and security of women and the steps taken for villages and farmers.

With Haryana, Maharashtra will also vote on October 21 to elect new members to the state assemblies. Votes will be counted on October 24. Also voting in by-polls on October 21 will be 64 Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha constituency.