MOGA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said chief minister Bhagwant Mann had committed a heinous sacrilege against the Guru Sahiban and appealed to the “Maha Purakhs” to take notice of it.
Addressing a huge conference on the occasion of the Maghi Mela at Takhtapura Sahib, the SAD president said “I have seen the video. It is shocking what is being done by a person sitting on the chief minister’s chair. The Maha Purakhs in our society should take notice of it. Those like Baljit Singh Daduwal and Dhian Singh Mand who defamed the SAD on this sensitive issue should also explain why they are silent now”. He also disclosed that sacrilege incidents started occurring in Punjab in 2015 after the entry of AAP into the State in 2014. “These were started to divide the Sikh community and defame the SAD”, he added.
Speaking in his bold characteristic style amid slogans of “Sukhbir teri soch te pehra devange thok ke”, the SAD president said “the AAP government is even trying to frame me in a false case but I will never be cowed down by such tactics. The Guru Sahiban have taught us to fight against tyranny and I will continue to speak fearlessly against the anti- people and anti- Punjabi policies of this corrupt government”.
Appealing to the people to support the SAD wholeheartedly, Mr Sukhbir Badal said “we don’t need to give guarantees like the Congress and AAP who never fulfilled them as Punjabis trust our word. We have always implemented what we said like giving free power to farmers and introducing novel social welfare schemes like old age pension, aata- daal, Shagun and SC Scholarship”.
Announcing that the SAD would further expand it’s pro-farmer, pro- poor and pro- youth policies once it came to power in 2027, Mr Badal said free tubewell connections would be given to all left out farmers. He said since Punjab waters were flowing into the Rajasthan canal unlawfully as Punjab alone had claim over them under the Riparian principle, the SAD government would stop this flow and divert these waters to the fields of farmers of Punjab. He also announced pipes would be installed to ensure canal water reached tail ends.
In another major announcement, Mr Badal said youth would be eligible for a Rs 10 lakh interest free loan. He said government jobs in the State would be open to Punjabis alone unlike the AAP government which had given these jobs to outsiders. He said any industry seeking government subsidies would also have to employ 75 per cent Punjabis on its rolls. He also announced that on the pattern of the Road Tax reprieve given to tractors by S Parkash Singh Badal, motor cycles would also be exempted from this tax. “Sewa Kendras will be reopened and a Commission would be established to probe all fake cases registered by the AAP government. Those responsible for implicating innocents in the false cases will be proceeded against as per law”.
Mr Badal also announced the establishment of 16 medical colleges in each district of the State and reservation of fifty percent of all seats for poor and deserving students who would be provided education in the medical as well as veterinary colleges free of cost. “AAP promised this but did nothing. We will make this a reality”. He also announced establishment of a Skill university with a capacity of training 50, 000 youth in which Corporates would be brought on board to impart traning as per their needs so that the youth could be appropriately absorbed in the industry.
Senior leader Tirath Singh Mahla while speaking on the occasion said the people of Punjab had already made up their mind to bring the SAD into power in 2027 as they believed in the visionary policies of the regional party as well as it’s leader S Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Others who spoke on the occasion included, Sikander Singh Maluka, Rajwinder Singh Dharamkot Sunny Gill and Khanmukh Bharti.