TALWANDI SABO: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the next SAD government would develop holy city Talwandi Sabo on the pattern of Sri Amritsar Sahib besides making it an educational hub befitting its status of “Guru ki Kashi”.
Addressing a massive rally here as part of the Punjab Bachao rally of the party along with halka incharge Ravipreet Singh Sidhu, the SAD president said the constituency had been ignored during both the erstwhile Congress and present Aam Aadmi Party regimes. “We will turn around the fortunes of this historic place once we form the government”.
The SAD president also urged the voters of Talwandi Sabo constituency to make Ravipreet win the Vidhan Sabha elections 2027.
Asserting that the AAP government was leading Punjab to ruin, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said the confidence of the trade and industry as well as the common man in the AAP regime had touched a new low after incidents of AAP ministers using gangsters to intimidate officers and entrepreneurs had come to light. “First it was minister Laljit Bhullar who forced a capable officer to commit suicide. Now another minister - Hardeep Singh Mundian is openly using gangsters to intimidate an entrepreneur”.
Making it clear that next SAD government would not spare anyone, Mr Badal said whether it was Mundian or chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who as home minister had facilitated the transfer of dreaded gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria from an Assam jail to Punjab to use him in the Tarn Taran bypoll, all AAP leaders would be held to account.
The SAD president also expressed his gratitude to Punjabis for according an unprecedented response to the Punjab Bachao rallies of the party whose first phase was completed today after holding 40 rallies. He also warned them to beware of central agencies who might propel so called Panthic persons in Punjab politics in the near future to weaken the SAD.
Speaking about his vision for Punjab, Mr Badal said government jobs would be given to Punjabis only unlike the AAP government which had given such jobs to outsiders. He also announced that youth would be given a Rs 10 lakh interest free loan besides being given a 75 per cent subsidy to establish livestock farms.
Mr Badal also spoke on how the next SAD government would establish a World Skill University which would skill one lakh youth every year and would have centres in each district. He said the SAD would introduce an expanded Aata Dal scheme and raise old age pension to Rs 3, 100 per month and Shagun allowance to Rs 1 lakh. He also announced that the Rajasthan canal would be closed once the SAD formed the government.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal spoke on how the AAP government had betrayed farmers by refusing to compensate them for the loss of their crops. Senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia expressed solidarity with entrepreneur Malkit Singh who had been harassed, intimidated and even abused by minister Hardeep Mundian. While expressing solidarity with the victim family, Mr Majithia said the SAD would fight to secure justice for the family.
Senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Sikander Singh Maulka also spoke on the occasion.