BATHINDA: The proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Malout on July 11 was an exercise to woo the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan ahead of 2019 parliamentary elections but farmers have nothing to be thankful for, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Jakhar has said.Though the Modi government was calling the increase of Rs 180 per quintal in minimum support price (MSP) of paddy a historic decision but in reality the farmers were not going to get any benefit due to massive hike in price of diesel, the Gurdaspur MP said.Jakhar, who along with Punjab affairs in charge Asha Kumari and national secretary Harish Chaudhary, was visiting Bathinda on Sunday to talk to party workers, said that actually BJP wanted to attract farmers but in all BJP ruled states, especially Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, farmers are angry with the party. BJP has thus forced Akali Dal to hold rally in Punjab to thank NDA government.BJP wanted to draw in famers by riding on Akali Dal’s shoulder but it was completely ignorant that farmers already term SAD as its “Enemy No. 1” in Punjab, he said.The Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in the Centre in 2011-12 had increased MSP by Rs 170 per quintal and the diesel rate was Rs 45 per litre at that time, and now it is nearing Rs 70 per litre and other agriculture related items too were costly.He said that Amainder Singh government had broken the drugs supply chain and youths were now taking some dangerous mixture due to which some had died but the government was committed to eliminate this threat as well.When asked if the state government had failed to identify tainted police officers while making appointing on critical posts, Jakhar said whenever reports poured in action was taken as seen in case of two SSPs of Moga.

Stay updated with all the Amritsar Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.