Anurag Singh Thakur, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, expressed his concern about the lack of basic infrastructure in Jalandhar, Punjab. He observed that no development had occurred in the city in the past year and blamed the Aam Aadmi Party for its destruction. He added that the whole of Punjab is suffering from similar conditions.
Thakur lamented the deteriorating state of Jalandhar, which was once renowned for its sports industry, health services, and infrastructure, but now lacks cleanliness and good roads. He criticized the Aam Aadmi Party for failing to keep its promise of developing Jalandhar as a sports hub and, instead, turning the whole of Punjab into an extortion hub.
The Union Minister also commented on the Jalandhar Smart City Project, stating that although Jalandhar was included in the Smart City Project, no work has been done yet.
Thakur accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of providing poor governance to Punjab for over a year with no workable administration in place.
In contrast, Thakur highlighted the work done by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab, including establishing AIIMS, a PGI satellite centre, and providing Rs. 950 crores for the Smart City Project. He also mentioned the construction of new highways and super expressways, made possible under the BJP government. He added that Modi’s government opened the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, made the ropeway up to Hemkund Sahib, and made the Char Dham Yatra accessible.
Thakur concluded by mentioning the initiatives taken by the Modi government to commemorate Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj Ji’s Prakash Parv and Veer Bal Diwas. He also highlighted the formation of an SIT in the 1983 Sikh riots and the rescue of Sikh families from Afghanistan by running special flights.
