Chandigarh, July 18 (K.L. Jit Walia):– Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, along with senior Majha leader and MLA Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, MLAs Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, and Bhagwant Pal Singh Sachar, issued a joint statement criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab. They said that the people of Punjab had high expectations from the visit, but it remained limited to speeches and political messaging. According to them, Punjab received no significant announcements, and none of the state’s major issues were addressed.
Randhawa said that during the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Central Government had issued a notification regarding the release of Sikh prisoners, and Prime Minister Modi had spoken about respecting the sentiments of the Sikh community during the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor at Dera Baba Nanak. This had raised hopes within the Sikh community that the issue of Sikh prisoners would be resolved on humanitarian and justice-based grounds. However, he alleged that the Prime Minister did not even mention this sensitive and long-pending issue during his latest visit, leading to disappointment among Sikhs.
He further stated that Punjab is India’s most sensitive border state and continues to face the challenge of narcotics, modern weapons, and ammunition being smuggled through drones from Pakistan. He claimed that this poses a serious threat not only to Punjab but also to India’s internal security. According to him, no new strategy or strengthening of central agencies was announced to tackle this challenge.
Randhawa also referred to publicly available information and court documents related to the FBI, stating that they had raised several serious questions. He said the Union Home Ministry and the Prime Minister should clarify their position on these issues, adding that transparency and accountability are essential in matters concerning national security, international reputation, and the rule of law.
He further said that Punjab has long been demanding a special economic package due to its strategic border location. He added that expectations regarding support for border area development, industrial revival, employment generation, and infrastructure strengthening remained unfulfilled.
Randhawa also said that farmers are still waiting for a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He noted that no new announcements were made regarding crop diversification, farmers’ debt relief, or making agriculture more profitable. Similarly, he said the industrial sector continues to struggle with high electricity costs, declining investment, and unemployment, without any concrete relief measures being announced.
Concluding the statement, Randhawa said that the people of Punjab will now judge governments by their performance rather than promises. He added that the Congress Party would continue to raise the concerns of Punjab, the Sikh community, farmers, youth, traders, and residents of border areas, and would seek answers from the Central Government regarding promises that, according to the party, remain unfulfilled.
KL JIT WALIA
