In Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s turf, Narendra Modi compares Chhotu Ram with Sardar Patel

GARHI SAMPLA (ROHTAK): With the general elections on mind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday glorified the contribution of Haryana towards economy, agriculture and sports in the country. Modi, who was at Garhi Sampla village near Rohtak to unveil the statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram and inauguration of a museum in the Sir Chotu Ram Complex, also laid the foundation stone of Rs 500 crore rail coach repair workshop, which is to come up at Sonipat.

Garhi Sampla is the heartland of Jats politics and the community has sizeable population in Haryana. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is the MLA from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi.

Modi started his address in Haryanvi while expressing his gratitude towards sportspersons, farmers and soldiers and paramilitary forces personnel of the state. “Desh ki seema pai raksha karan main sabte ghane jawan, desh ki karoda’n abadi ka pet bharan main sabte aage kisan ar khela main sabte jyada medal jitan aale khiladi waale Haryana ki darti ne main parnaam karu (I salute to the land of Haryana which has given the maximum defence personnel guarding the borders, farmers who are feeding crores of countrymen and the sportsperson who are winning maximum medal),” said Modi. There is no match of Haryanvis and their contribution towards nation building, he added.

PM Modi remained focussed on Sir Chhotu Ram and compared him to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel while referring to his statue. The PM said both were born in the families of farmers and always worked for the welfare of the peasants, poor and those exploited by the society.

“I wonder how the generations are deprived of the teachings of such a great personality and his glories were confined to a particular area despite the fact that he had significant contribution towards not just joint Punjab but also to entire nation. Creation of Bhakra Dam was one of such contributions of Sir Chhotu Ram,” said Modi. Referring to the farmers, Modi also credited him of motivating them to send their wards to the defence forces.

CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Union steel minister Birender Singh, governor of Haryana S N Arya, governor of Himachal Pardesh Acharya Devvrat and Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik and Haryana agriculture minister Om Parkash Dhankar shared the stage with Modi.