“Taking initiative to manage law and order is the prime task of government,” said Rajnath Singh. (File)

Chandigarh:

Addressing a public rally in Punjab’s capital on the completion of 9 years of the Modi government, on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh targetted the Aam Aadmi Party government in the state.

“The Punjab government failed to maintain law and order. Taking the initiative to manage the law and order is the prime task of the government but this government failed,” said the Minister.

He said, “When Captain Amarinder Singh was the Chief Minister, the Central and the state government together were working on strengthening the state’s law and order. But the AAP government in Punjab is neither strengthening the law and order nor cooperating with us”.

Recalling former Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal (Shiromani Akali Dal), Rajnath Singh said, “At the centre, there is the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government but we got the maximum support at the centre level from Prakash Singh Badal’.

The Union Minister stated, “Today, I have come to Chandigarh. At this moment, I am missing Prakash Singh Badal the most”.

Further attacking the opposition, he said, “The Congress and the other oppositional parties are saying that the democracy is endangered. If it is, then how did they win Himachal assembly polls?”

In addition, after the rally, Rajnath Singh spoke with the media and said that the posts of Prime Minister, President and Governor hold a certain dignity which should be respected.

“The state governments should work in coordination with the centre. All state governments are equal for us”, he added.

Significantly, on the completion of 9 years of the Bharatiya Janata Party government, the leaders of the party launched a public campaign under which they are communicating with the public and presenting a report card of their work done in the past 9 years.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)