CHANDIGARH: BJP president Amit Shah Sunday asserted that India will emerge as a "superpower" in the next five years if Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister again.
Addressing his fourth rally in the states of Punjab and Haryana, Shah said the country was secure only under the Modi rule. He earlier organised rallies at Sonipat and Panipat in Haryana, and at Pathankot in Punjab.
His rally in Haryana's Yamunanagar was cancelled. "I have come here to say if you make Narendra Modi PM again, India will emerge as a superpower in the world in next five years," the BJP chief told the gathering here. He was campaigning for BJP nominee and sitting MP from Chandigarh, Kirron Kher.
Dubbing the Congress-led opposition 'Mahamilavati' (highly adulterated) 'Mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance), Shah reiterated that only Narendra Modi can keep the country secure. "On one side, BJP and its alliance partners, and on the other hand, there is 'Mahamilavat Mahagathbandhan' whose leader is Rahul (Gandhi). Can they secure the country? Can they work for welfare of poor? Can they give a strong reply to terrorism? Can they give a strong reply to Pakistan?" he said.
The BJP leader said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were being fought not only for development. "Development of poor, villages, farmers, cities will be carried out by Modi. But the job of securing the country can only be done by Modi ji," he said.
Shah, who is contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, yet again raised the issue of Balakot strikes and attacked the Congress for seeking proof of the strikes. He also vowed to scrap Article 370 (granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir) while asserting that Kashmir will always remain an integral part of India.
Shah also listed out the work carried out by the party in Chandigarh during the last five years. Chandigarh become kerosene-free city and every house here has LPG cylinder, he said, adding direct benefit transfer was introduced in the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS).
Chandigarh was also included in the first list of smart cities and work was carried out towards making the Chandigarh Railway Station as a model station, the BJP president said.
He said flats were constructed for 5,000 slum dwellers at the cost of Rs 155 crore. "For urban transportation, 84 buses were purchased for Rs 37 crore. An amount of Rs 42 crore was spent in sector 17 and an administrative building is being set up here at the cost of Rs 72 crore," Shah added.