Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today rubbished the Congress "campaign" about industries leaving the state as highly misleading and dared them to prove their claims.
"The sole aim of this entire malicious campaign is to tarnish the SAD-BJP government's image in the state", he told reporters on the sidelines of the a function organised to mark the death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, here.
"The truth is, Punjab's industry has been ruined due to Centre's apathy. Incentives given by the Union government to some of the hill-states have dealt a fatal blow to the state's industry, but Congress leaders hardly uttered any word before their high command," he said.
"People are aware of this dubious nature of Congress leaders and would not be swayed by their false propaganda," Badal said.
Yesterday, Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa had sought a white paper from the government on Punjab's industry since 2007 and had said, no new industry was ready to come to the state "due to lack of infrastructure and fear of political victimisation."
Earlier addressing a public gathering, Badal exhorted people to form a NDA government at the Centre "to restore country's prestige and safeguard its sovereignty".
Paying floral tributes to Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, the Chief Minister said he was not only a great Sikh scholar and philosopher, but his entire life was an inspiration for politicians as well as common man.
Claiming that the UPA government has failed on all fronts and devaluation of rupee was a testimony to it, Badal castigated the Congress-led government at the Centre, for "denying martyr status" to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who laid down their lives for the freedom struggle.
The Chief Minister Badal said, the state government was making efforts to highlight the rich legacy of freedom fighters by erecting memorials to pay homage to them.
Addressing the gathering and paying rich tributes to Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, BJP president Rajnath Singh recalled the valuable contribution made by the people of Punjab in preserving the unity and integrity of the country and safeguarding its borders.
