'Congress Looted Punjab, AAP Is Its Photocopy': PM Modi's Pre-Poll Jibe

"One has pushed the youth of Punjab into drugs, the other is making Delhi's youth addicted to alcohol," he said.

As Punjab Assembly elections fast approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 16 February, accused the Congress party of looting the state, and called the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) its photocopy.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/BJP)

As Punjab Assembly elections fast approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 16 February, accused the Congress party of looting the state, and called the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) its photocopy.

Addressing a rally in Pathankot, Modi said:

"Now the Congress has also got a 'partner-in-crime' to support its actions. You see, there is a lot of similarity between both the parties. When a Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, both of them oppose together. One looted Punjab, and the other is doing scam after scam in Delhi. The truth is that if the Congress is original, the other party is its photocopy."

"One has pushed the youth of Punjab into the trap of drugs, the other party is making the youth of Delhi addicted to alcohol," he added.

Further, the prime minister said that while the BJP sees Punjab "through the eyes of Punjabiyat, our opponents see Punjab through the lens of politics."

'Cong Failed To Keep Kartarpur Sahib in India': PM

Speaking about the BJP-led Centre's development of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor – the road to Darbar Sahib Kartarpur (the final resting place of Guru Nanak in Pakistan) – Modi said that the Congress had failed to keep the sacred shrine in Indian territory during the Partition.

"When the country was partitioned, the people of Congress did not understand enough that Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Tapobhoomi (final resting place), located 6 km away from the border, should be kept in India. So, we got the privilege of developing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor."

The prime minister also said that the Congress disrespects the country's soldiers, and had insulted the sacrifices of the defence personnel who had died during the 2016 Pathankot attack.

'BJP in UP Means Control Over Mafia & Freedom To Celebrate Festivals': Modi

"Having BJP government in UP means equal control over rioters, mafia raj, goonda raj. Having a BJP government in UP means open freedom to celebrate the festivals. Having a BJP government in UP means protection of sisters and daughters from eve teasers. BJP in UP means Centre's schemes being implemented at double speed," PM Modi said at a rally in Sitapur later on Wednesday,

"The development of UP cannot be done by those people who encourage rioters, goons, mafia. Conscious people of Uttar Pradesh know this," he added.

"Where once the BJP gets its feet, the family running the government sitting in Delhi with a remote control gets leave. Where there was development, there was annihilation of dynasty. Where there is peace and security, there is a farewell to appeasement and corruption. The same farewell has to be given this time in Punjab also," he said, asking those gathered to vote for the BJP in Punjab.

117 seats of Punjab are slated to go to polls on 20 February. The AAP's Bhagwant Mann and the Congress's Charanjit Singh Channi are the top contenders for the chief ministerial post.

While the ruling Congress had emerged victorious on 77 seats in the state in 2017, the BJP had secured only 3.