Banaskantha, April 23 (IANS) Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Jagdish Vishwakarma on Thursday referred to incidents of poll violence in West Bengal and Kerala and said that BJP workers in those states had faced “atrocities and even killings” but continued to remain committed to strengthening the party organisation despite such circumstances.

He made these remarks while addressing a “Vikas Sankalp Sabha” in Palanpur of Banaskantha district, which was organised ahead of the forthcoming local body elections.

Addressing the gathering, Vishwakarma said BJP workers remain consistently engaged with the public.

The State BJP President added, “The BJP workers remain among the public for 365 days and are continuously engaged in public service, whereas opposition leaders are visible only during elections.”

Targeting the Congress, Vishwakarma said it had lost public trust due to organisational weaknesses.

“Congress lacks policy, intent and leadership, and therefore citizens as well as Congress workers themselves have lost faith in the party,” he alleged.

He also asserted that both the Central and state governments remained committed to welfare-oriented governance and development.

Referring to relief measures for farmers, the State BJP President highlighted a Rs 10,000 crore package announced for those affected by unseasonal rains and Rs 15,000 crore worth of procurement of crops at support prices.

“These payments were being directly transferred into farmers’ bank accounts under the state government led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, reflecting continued support for the agricultural community,” he said.

On national security, Vishwakarma said there had been a shift in approach towards terrorism under the present BJP-led state government.

“Earlier governments had responded to terror attacks only with statements, whereas the current administration had undertaken decisive action. Zero tolerance towards terrorism is the policy of the BJP,” he added, while referring to measures such as surgical strikes and air strikes carried out in response to such attacks.

He also referred to cultural and religious heritage initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and development projects at major pilgrimage sites such as Kashi, Ujjain, Somnath, Pavagadh, Ambaji and Dwarka.

Vishwakarma called upon BJP workers to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and ensure strong electoral performance in Banaskantha.

He urged them to work towards securing victories across all constituencies in the district.

–IANS

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