Tarun Chugh

In a world where leadership is too often mistaken for entitlement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has redefined public service through sheer discipline, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the idea of Nation First. For eleven continuous years, he has not taken a single day off-not for festivals, not for personal milestones, not even for mourning.

When his mother, Heeraben Modi, passed away-a moment of immense personal grief-he attended the funeral early morning and returned to work within hours. The same day, he chaired meetings and launched government programmes. This wasn’t a performance. It was a reflection of a man who lives the role of Pradhan Sevak, not as a title but as an ethos.

Since 2014, PM Modi has taken charge of India’s transformation with the intensity of a karmayogi-working not for accolades, but out of duty. His days start before dawn and often stretch late into the night. In these eleven years, he’s never availed official leave, never paused the engine of governance for personal comfort. His minimalist lifestyle and intense focus aren’t symbolic-they define how India is governed under his watch.

It’s this relentless pace that has powered sweeping reforms and deep delivery. Flagship schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala, Jal Jeevan Mission, and PM Awas Yojana haven’t stayed on paper-they’ve touched lives in the remotest villages. He brought governance out of Delhi’s corridors and into India’s courtyards.

Under his leadership, India has become the world’s fourth-largest economy. Structural reforms like GST and the repeal of 1,500 obsolete laws have unclogged business processes. Financial inclusion became a mass movement, with over 55 crore Jan Dhan accounts.

Digital India is no longer a slogan-platforms like UPI, DigiLocker, and Aadhaar have empowered citizens and made public services radically accessible. His leadership has shown true mettle in moments of crisis. Be it the decisive surgical strikes, the Balakot airstrike, or the calibrated response to COVID-19-PM Modi’s crisis management is marked by calm, clarity, and courage.

During the pandemic, India not only administered over 200 crore vaccine doses but also supplied vaccines to over 90 countries. His early lockdown decision bought critical time to ramp up healthcare infrastructure, likely saving millions.

What sets him further apart is his refusal to govern with political prejudice. In states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab-where BJP’s electoral presence may be limited-development continues unhindered. His governance doesn’t draw lines based on vote banks. PM Modi has championed regional cultures, languages, and aspirations as pillars of a unified nationalism-not obstacles to it.

This is not just the story of a Prime Minister who works hard. This is the story of a leader who has reshaped the idea of leadership itself. Relentless, rooted, and resolute-Narendra Modi has turned the Prime Minister’s Office into a mission, not a seat.

But at a time when the nation celebrates PM Modi’s achievements, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s recent cheap remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits have not just shamed Punjab but insulted all of India.

By sneering at the honors our PM receives from smaller nations, Mann has sullied the state’s pride on the world stage. Such words from an elected Chief Minister are extremely disgraceful and beneath the dignity of his constitutional office. Punjab does not deserve this conduct – it is a direct assault on our national pride.

Bhagwant Mann is so drunk on power and arrogance that he has no clue what rubbish he is spewing. Pettiness drips from his every word. He is hurling mud at the very Prime Minister whom the people of India have elected thrice with historic mandates a leader with 25 years of spotless public life, whose visionary leadership is echoing across the globe.

Mann crossed all limits when he even targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his frustration. Amit Shah is the patriot who crushed terrorism, dismantled Naxal networks, and gave India unprecedented internal security. By pointing fingers at such dedicated leaders, Bhagwant Mann has only exposed his own desperation and petty politics.

The honors PM Modi has received from around the world in the last decade are unparalleled in Indian history. From Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Sash to Russia’s Order of St. Andrew; from the UAE’s Order of Zayed to France’s Légion of Honour dozens of countries have elevated India’s pride by conferring their highest civilian awards upon him.

Just recently, Ghana too decorated the Prime Minister with its top national honor. Be it the great world powers or small island nations – everywhere the Prime Minister of India is respected. No Indian leader since Independence has ever received the kind of admiration abroad that Narendra Modi enjoys today.

Punjab has directly reaped major benefits from PM Modi’s foreign policy. During the Taliban crisis, the sacred swaroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was safely brought back from Afghanistan with all its angs intact, a swift action by the Centre that honored the faith of the Sikh community.

Likewise, by opening the long-stalled historic Kartarpur Corridor, Prime Minister Modi respected the sentiments of Sikhs worldwide and fulfilled an old dream of the people of Punjab.

Modi’s government has also taken unprecedented steps for non-resident Punjabis and the Sikh community. For the first time, holy shrines like Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) were allowed to accept donations directly from abroad, fulfilling a decades-old demand.

India’s relations with countries like Canada, Britain and Australia have reached new heights the very countries where large Punjabi diasporas reside. Punjabis settled overseas now feel more connected to their homeland than ever, thanks in large part to PM Modi’s visionary foreign outreach.

What has Bhagwant Mann given to Punjab in his three-and-a-half years of rule? His report card is zero on development – instead he has pushed Punjab into chaos and anarchy. The situation today is such that gangsters and goons reign on the state’s streets.

Under the Mann regime, even Punjab’s jails have been turned into studios for criminals, from where gangsters openly run their empires. Farmers are out protesting against his repressive land pooling policy. The reality is that Mr. Mann is busy with empty rhetoric while Punjab is burning from within.

Having no achievements of his own, Bhagwant Mann is now trying to distract attention with absurd outbursts. He should remember how, on an official foreign visit to Germany, he himself got intoxicated and embarrassed Punjab publicly.

It was Prime Minister Modi who stepped in and saved Mann’s honor – ensuring that the video of that disgraceful episode was suppressed so Punjab would not face further humiliation. Yet instead of showing any gratitude, Bhagwant Mann today spews venom against the very Modi who once protected his dignity.

The Mann government’s so-called “land pooling” policy is in fact a Kejriwal-directed plot to snatch away the fertile land of Punjab’s farmers. Under this scheme, roughly 75,000 acres of farmland across Punjab would be taken from the owners under the pretext of creating new cities and industrial areas, only to be handed over to favored real-estate developers.

There was no proper consultation or consent from the farmers – a robbery is being orchestrated behind the backs of Punjab’s annadatas to loot their land. In the name of development, the real intent is to enrich land mafias and Kejriwal’s cronies. It’s a draconian, unconstitutional land-grab Ponzi scheme cooked up by Bhagwant Mann’s puppet regime. Punjab will never tolerate such a betrayal of its farmers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party will oppose this “loot pooling” scheme with full force. We will challenge this policy in court, organize farmers in every village, and launch vigorous agitations across the state. The BJP will not allow even an inch of land to fall into the hands of the mafia.

If need be, our leaders are ready to go on hunger strikes. The rights of three crore Punjabis will be defended on every front, and we will ensure this anti-farmer ploy of the AAP government is defeated.

This is not just about political disagreement it is about the dignity of Punjab, the honor of India, and the prestige of our Prime Minister who represents Bharat Mata on the world stage. Through his conduct, Bhagwant Mann has brought shame upon both Punjab and the nation. If he has even a shred of integrity left, he should apologize to the country for his words, and immediately step down from the Chief Minister’s post.

(The author is National General Secretary of the BJP)

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