Jalandhar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during a rally in Jalandhar, accusing them of misgoverning Punjab and asserting that only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could bring real change to the state.
Addressing the gathering, Modi alleged that the AAP government was running Punjab on borrowed money and had failed to fulfil its promises to farmers and women. He also raised concerns over the state’s law and order situation, claiming that incidents of gang violence, shootings and attacks on police stations had created an atmosphere of fear and made it difficult for businesses to operate.
The Prime Minister also targeted the Congress, saying the party remained preoccupied with internal leadership disputes, while the Shiromani Akali Dal was struggling with its own organisational issues. He said the BJP was the only party capable of providing stable governance and development in Punjab.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal responded on social media platform X, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy. Referring to the Ram Temple donation controversy, Kejriwal wrote that “the biggest leader of those accused of stealing Ram Temple donations has come to Punjab to lecture people on honesty.”
Earlier in the day, Modi flagged off the country’s first hydrogen-powered train in Haryana before travelling to Chandigarh, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth over ₹4,700 crore. He also announced that a new MBBS college at PGIMER, Chandigarh, had been approved and would begin admissions soon.
Congress MP Manish Tewari attended the Chandigarh programme, while foundation plaques for several projects also carried the names of Opposition MPs and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Mann, however, did not share the stage with the Prime Minister during the visit.
