India gained prominence in world under Modi's rule, need such a strong PM: Sukhbir Badal

Asserting that India gained prominence in the world under Narendra Modi's rule, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Sunday said the country needed a "strong" prime minister with a mission of taking it forward and asked voters to make the right choice in "deciding the nation's fate".

Addressing his first election rally at Balachaur under Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, he termed Congress' Amarinder Singh the "most inefficient" chief minister of Punjab and accused him of stalling all development projects and social welfare schemes in the state.

"You know the background of all parties and leaders and who can take our country and the state forward. Today, there is a need for a strong prime minister who has the mission to take country forward and has the courage and will to work for the welfare of the people," Badal said.

He said that Narendra Modi during his 15-year rule as Gujarat chief minister took the state to new heights of development and now with him being the prime minister India gained prominence on the global stage.

"We have a courageous prime minister of whom the enemies are scared. Following Pulwama terror attack, our forces launched (anti-terror) air strikes in Pakistan. Our pilot (who was captured by Pakistan) was sent back within 48 hours... this is the difference," Badal, the chief of BJP-ally SAD, said.

Referring to the 2017 Punjab assembly elections in which the Congress came to power ending the 10-year-rule of the SAD-BJP alliance, he told the gathering, "This election (Lok Sabha polls) is important so we should not repeat the mistake we did in the state polls."
Badal told the gathering, "You make SAD-BJP victorious on all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab and I guarantee you that Amarinder Singh will not continue to remain the chief minister."