AAP corrupt, internal turmoil in Congress and SAD: PM Modi in Punjab

5 min readJalandharUpdated: Jul 18, 2026 04:25 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first hydrogen-powered train, between Jind and Sonipat, at Jind railway station in Haryana, Friday. (DPR PMO/ANI Photo)

Stepping up the BJP’s outreach in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government remained committed to the development of the state, regardless of which party was in power.

“Modi har dum, har pal Punjab ke logon ke saath hai (Modi stands with the people of Punjab at all times),” he said, as he launched a sharp attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), took swipes at the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and asserted that only the BJP could bring real change and development in the state.

Saying that the AAP was “kattar beimaan” (blatantly dishonest), he alleged that “an open game of loot” was underway in Punjab, turning it into a state “run on advertisements” and pushing its youth into the quagmire of drugs. On the Congress and SAD, Modi said both the parties were preoccupied with their internal struggles.

While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann received Modi at the airfield in Chandigarh, he skipped the Jalandhar event.

Modi began his visit to the region with a stop in Haryana’s Jind to flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered train. He then inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of two highway projects in Chandigarh. He concluded the day in Punjab’s Jalandhar, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of rail and road infrastructure projects worth Rs 5,470 crore, including the redevelopment of 75 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

In Jalandhar, he began his address in Punjabi. “Punjabiyo kivein ho, chardi kala vich ho (How are you, Punjab? I hope you are in high spirits),” he said, adding, “Ajj Punjab di dharti te aa ke meinu maan mehsus ho reha hai (I feel proud to be on the soil of Punjab today.)”

The political messaging was accompanied by a visible outreach to the influential Ravidassia community. Modi met Dera Sachkhand Ballan chief Sant Niranjan Dass, before flagging off the Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi Sant Ravidas Express, which provides a direct rail link between two important centres of faith for the community.

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This was Modi’s second meeting with Sant Niranjan Dass, after his visit to Dera Sachkhand Ballan near Jalandhar in February.

Modi’s visit is widely being seen as part of the BJP’s attempt to expand independently in Punjab, after its split with long-time ally SAD. This was Modi’s second visit to Punjab this year since the Dera Sachkhand Ballan visit in February, underscoring the BJP’s efforts to consolidate its outreach in the state as it seeks to emerge as a principal political force ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Targeting the AAP government in Punjab, Modi said “the land of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh” was now being “run on advertisements” while gang wars, extortions and attacks on police stations had become common. “Nobody knows where a gang war may break out or from which direction bullets may start flying,” he said, alleging that the drug trade was flourishing and Punjab’s youth was being pushed into addiction. “Business has become difficult. There is open extortion,” he said.

He also accused the AAP government of failing to properly utilise Central funds, rebranding Central welfare schemes with its own stickers, burdening Punjab with debt while bringing development to a standstill, neglecting farmers and government employees, and failing to fulfil its promise of financial assistance to women. He claimed women should have received Rs 50,000 in their bank accounts by now.

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Drawing a comparison with Haryana, Modi said the neighbouring state was providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) on 24 crops while Punjab’s farmers had been “deceived”. He also claimed Haryana government employees were receiving 60 per cent dearness allowance while their counterparts in Punjab were forced to protest for their dues.

The Prime Minister also targeted the Congress, accusing it of neglecting railway infrastructure for decades. “Congress ka kursi kissa khatam nahi ho raha (Congress turmoil is not ending),” he said, adding that the SAD was in a similar position too.

Modi paid tributes to Akali leader Teja Singh Samundri and praised Jalandhar residents for their contribution to cleanliness initiatives.

Earlier in the day, the PM flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat, describing it as the world’s longest and most powerful hydrogen-powered train. He also dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth around Rs 14,700 crore, saying rapid railway electrification had made India’s transport network more resilient.

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In Chandigarh, he inaugurated the six-lane Greenfield Highway from IT City to Kurali and laid the foundation stone of the PR-7 Spur of the Ambala-Chandigarh Greenfield Highway, saying the projects would ease congestion on Airport Road, improve connectivity across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, and boost industry and business.

Among those present on the stage in Jalandhar were former AAP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal, who recently joined the BJP, and former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh. Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who joined the BJP in 2022, was, however, absent.

With inputs from Sukhbir Siwach and Hina Rohtaki