Prime Minister's Punjab Visit Limited to Speeches and Political Messaging: Congress

MLAs and Senior Congress Leaders Call Prime Minister's Punjab Visit Disappointing

Chandigarh, July 18, 2026: Former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Member of Parliament Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, stating that the people of Punjab had high expectations from the visit, but it ultimately remained confined to speeches and political messaging. He said the Prime Minister's silence on the release of detained Sikh prisoners, a special economic package for the border state, drug and arms smuggling, public issues related to the FBI, and the concerns of farmers and industries was deeply disappointing.
Along with Sukhjinder Randhawa, senior Congress leaders and MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, and Bhagwant Pal Singh Sachar also criticized the Prime Minister's visit. In a joint statement, they said that Punjab received neither any new development package nor any concrete announcement on the state's key issues.
Randhawa further stated that on the occasion of the 550th Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the Central Government had issued a notification regarding the release of Sikh prisoners, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor at Dera Baba Nanak, had spoken about respecting the sentiments of the Sikh community. At that time, the Sikh community had hoped that the issue of detained Sikh prisoners would be resolved permanently on humanitarian and just grounds. However, during this visit to Punjab, the Prime Minister did not even mention this sensitive and long-pending issue, which has caused disappointment within the Sikh community.
He said Punjab is the country's most sensitive border state. Every day, Pakistan is sending narcotics, sophisticated weapons, and ammunition through drones. This poses a serious threat not only to Punjab but also to India's internal security. Despite this challenge, no new strategy was announced, nor was there any commitment to further strengthen the central agencies dealing with these threats.
Randhawa further stated that serious questions have arisen following publicly available facts and court documents related to the FBI. He said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister should clarify their position on these issues. Matters concerning national security, India's international image, and the rule of law require transparency and accountability rather than silence. The people of Punjab also want to know the Central Government's clear stand on these matters.
The MP said Punjab has long been demanding a special economic package because of its border-state status. There were expectations of a major financial package for the development of border areas, revival of industries, employment generation for youth, and strengthening of infrastructure. However, the Central Government disappointed Punjab on this front as well.
He added that farmers are still waiting for a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP). No new announcements were made regarding crop diversification, reducing the debt burden on farmers, or making agriculture more profitable. Similarly, the industrial sector continues to struggle with high electricity costs, declining investment, and a shortage of employment opportunities, yet no concrete plan was presented to address these challenges.
Randhawa concluded by saying that the people of Punjab will now judge governments not by their promises but by their performance. The Congress Party will continue to be the voice of Punjab's rights, the sentiments of the Sikh community, farmers, youth, traders, and residents of border areas, and will keep demanding answers from the Central Government regarding all the promises made to Punjab that remain unfulfilled.