PATIALA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the election manifesto should be given the status of a legal document to ensure political parties were made liable for the promises made by them.
The SAD President was speaking to newsmen here after holding massive rallies in support of SAD candidates Surjit Singh Rakhra at Samana and Veninder Kaur Loomba at Patran (Shutrana). He said the SAD had also written to the Election Commission to device ways and means to get the election manifesto enforced. “We will also move the court if need be to ensure no political party befools people by making wild promises and gets away with it. We also feel that this clause should be included in the Representation of the People Act”.
In an inspiring well received speech at Samana, Mr Sukhbir Badal highlighted how income tax raids had been conducted against commission agents to victimize them for supporting the Kisan Andolan. He demanded withdrawal of all false cases registered against Arhatiyas. He also condemned the discrimination done upon prominent NRI social worker Darshan Singh Dhaliwal who was turned away from the Delhi airport in punishment for the support he had lent to the Kisan Sangharsh. He said Mr Dhaliwal, who is the brother of party Samana candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra, had done yeoman service for the cause of the farmers by holding a constant ‘langar’ at the protest site on the borders of Delhi.
Speaking about the Congress government, Mr Badal said its days were numbered. “Now only 280 hours are left before the model code of conduct is enforced. Chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi is being exposed every day. All of his announcements remain on paper only. Everywhere he is going he is being greeted with empty chairs and protests by various sections of people, including employees. This is because Channi promised big but did not deliver anything. People will not forgive him for playing with their sentiments”.
Later speaking at Shutrana, Mr Badal said the Congress government was now affecting transfers in the top police set up on a daily basis and had even changed the Acting DGP in the hope that the new incumbent would obey its illegal orders to implicate top Akali leaders in false cases. He also assured that the next SAD-BSP alliance government would revive truck unions and form committees including both representatives of the trade and industry as well as truckers to run them more effectively. He also announced that all farmers who did not have a tubewell connection would be given one on priority basis immediately after formation of the SAD-BSP government.
Mr Badal also told the gatherings that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener Arvind Kejriwal was now trying to swindle Punjabis in the same manner as done by Capt Amarinder Singh by making false promises. “Kejriwal does not have any intention of implementing even one of the promises made by him as he has not implemented them in Delhi also”.
Mr Sukhbir Badal was given a splendid welcome on his arrival to Samana constituency to garner support for Mr Rakhra. It took 2 hours to the cavalcade to cover 10-km long road show as local residents offered garlands, did petal showering and also stopped his car for selfies at dozens of spots. Similarly at Patran also while campaigning for Mrs Loomba the SAD President received a tumultuous welcome with people coming out on the streets to welcome him.