Sukhbir Singh Badal alleges central agencies' campaign against SAD; seeks support ahead of elections
Sardulgarh, April 29: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday alleged that central agencies started a campaign against the SAD immediately after it quit the BJP-led NDA government and even planted their own men to accuse the SAD of committing sacrilege.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was addressing a gathering in favour of party’s candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal, said those who had attacked the SAD virulently for the acts of sacrilege eight years back, including 'self-styled Panthic leader' Baljit Singh Daduwal, had now joined the BJP. “This proves there was a sinister agenda to defame the SAD and weaken it”.
Sukhbir Singh Badal said the SAD was known for selfless service. “Leaders such as Parkash Singh Badal have been jailed for as long as 16 years in far off places like Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore and Panchmari. Badal Sahab even did not avail bail to attend his daughter’s wedding," he added.
Sukhbir Singh Badal also took on the BJP for taking over Sikh religious bodies. He alleged that BJP government in Maharashtra had tinkered with Sri Hazoor Sahib gurdwara managing board and nominated 12 members to the Board to take it in its control. He said members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had been co-opted into the BJP even as the SGPC had been broken to create a separate gurdwara committee for Haryana. He said Sikh bodies under the control of BJP like the Delhi Committee led by Manjinder Singh Sirsa were now even denying ‘langar’ to those who were holding ‘dharnas’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The SAD president alleged that the Central Government had virtually taken over the AAP government in Punjab. He said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was already functioning as a B team of the BJP and was ready to become the BJP’s CM in Punjab in case the party formed the government at the Centre.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also appealed to the voters to support the SAD. He assured the people that the party would continue to live by its principles come what may. “We earlier left the BJP because the party was not doing justice with the farming community. Even now we chose not to align with the BJP because it was not doing justice to the Sikh Panth and Punjab”.
In an emotional pitch to the electorate, the SAD president also asked the audience not to vote for the Congress. “Elections in Punjab are on June 1, the same day Indira Gandhi attacked Sri Harmandir Sahib with tanks and mortars. No Punjabi can forget the carnage which occurred at the Golden Temple or the subsequent genocide of Sikhs”.
He also spoke about how Mansa, which was one of the most backward areas in the state, had developed manifold during previous SAD tenures. “Look around you. Every infrastructure project be it roads, irrigation channels or Mandis – has come about during the tenure of Parkash Singh Badal”. Senior leader and party secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhundar, former MLA Dilraj Singh Bhundur and Istri Akali Dal president Bibi Hargobind Kaur also addressed the gathering.
- PTC NEWS
