BJP in fray for Jalandhar bypoll on Modi's performance: Amarinder
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Apr, 2023 10:59 AM
Jalandhar, April 24 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said his party was fighting the Jalandhar by-election on the basis of nine years' "extraordinary performance" of the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the media here along with party state president Ashwani Sharma and other party leaders, he said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country's stature had risen globally.
"India has faced several domestic and international challenges successfully under Modi's leadership and the people realised that," he said, while asserting that the BJP was on a strong footing because of the performance of the Central government. "We are reaching out to people on the basis of the performance of the BJP government at the Centre," he said.
Besides, the former Chief Minister added there was unprecedented development all around, particularly in the defence and infrastructure sectors. He claimed that during the tenure of A.K. Antony as Defence Minister, there was virtually no purchase of equipment and the country was facing an ammunition shortage.
He said during Modi's tenure the country has become fully equipped in terms of ammunition.
Replying to a question over the arrest of Amritpal Singh, Amarinder Singh said the state government had done it quite late and he should have been arrested much earlier. He said nobody should be allowed to play with peace and harmony in the country as there can be no tolerance towards anti-national activities.
The former Chief Minister dismissed the suggestions that a particular community was being maligned or victimised. "Amritpal is neither a leader nor a representative of any community," he said.
He said he has always shown zero-tolerance to corruption. At the same time, he added, anti-corruption drive should not mean resorting to political witch-hunt and vendetta. Action should be taken after due inquiry and not just because someone is politically opposed to "you and you have to settle some score with him", he remarked.
On the issue of Uttar Pradesh gangster Mukhtar Ansari, the former Chief Minister said he had been arrested and detained in the jail under due process of law as there was a criminal complaint registered against him in Punjab
Police said that with the arrest of the duo, identified as Samual Uzochukwu Nnowaruom and Joseph Ebekue, both from Nigeria, the entire backbone of the drug peddling syndicate has been broken in Dwarka area.
The toll was confirmed to the media by Rajkot Range Inspector General of Police Ashok Yadav. However, the toll according to the Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi is 132, while two persons remain unaccounted for.
Addressing to a gathering here, Mann said it is crystal clear that the people of Gujarat have made up their mind to give mandate in favour of AAP by ousting the BJP from the power. He said the Opposition is trying to malign AAP by dubbing it 'B' team of others but AAP is party of Gujarat's people and 130 crore of Indians.
Mining trader Mehal Singh (70) was shot dead outside his house on October 13. The operation was jointly carried out by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Counter Intelligence (CI) Punjab, the District Police of Udham Singh Nagar Uttarakhand, the Special Cell Delhi and the District Police of Mohali.
The deceased identified as Sunita Mittal was travelling by an e-rickshaw. Her grandson and daughter-in-law were also with her. She was on her way to Rohini sector 9. In the Prashant Vihar area two persons who were riding on a scooty attacked her in a bid to snatch her bag. The woman raised an alarm.
During the physical search, both the women were detected with something wrapped below their knees in a bandage-like arrangement, arousing suspicions. On further examination, it was found that the duo had wrapped 24 carat pure gold in wax form around their legs, concealed with an adhesive bandage-like material underneath their jeans.
