Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on Monday called his Gujarat counterpart and chairman of BJP's election campaign committee Narendra Modi as "the greatest leader" of the country.
In the beginning of his address at the inaugural session of Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit 2013 in Gandhinagar, Badal said, "I thank the greatest leader of the country and Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi for organising a first of this kind summit to address the problems of country's farmers."
"Gujarat is the state which gave birth to Mahatma Gandhi, which gave us Sardar Patel and now it has given 'Sardar' Modi to our nation," said the Shiromani Akali Dal leader.
Badal, the only ally of BJP so far to come out in support of Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate, also announced that a similar summit would be held in Punjab next February. In his half-an-hour long speech, Badal attacked the central government for ignoring farmers.
"For past many years farmers and agriculture have become the most neglected in our country," he said. "No Chief Minister is being consulted before taking decisions on farmers' issues... Every support price for farmers' production is decided by the Center."
"When this country needed grain, government gave the slogan 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'. But when the need was over they neglected farmers. Don't forget that you will need farmers in future too. What will you do then?" he said.
Talking about Punjab, Badal said, "More than 70 per cent of farming is tube-well dependent. At present farmers of Punjab carry more then 30,000-crore debt. But Central government is saying that as they are using tube-well water, it will not help with the debt. The farmers, who helped the country prosper, have been condemned by the central government."
"Don't keep farmers unhappy for long time. It will create a grave trouble. Don't wake up the sleeping tigers of Punjab," he said. Praising Modi for his work in animal husbandry, Badal said, "Modiji had gifted me a cow of famous Gir breed of the state. I have kept it at my village farm. When I go to my village, everyday I drink her milk. But Modiji now you have to give me another young one, as that cow has grown old."
Badal, however, refrained from mentioning the controversial issue of Sikh farmers in Gujarat who are up in arms against Gujarat government for allegedly depriving them of lands.
When asked by reporters afterwards, he said the matter was before the court, so he would not comment.
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