Sukhbir makes effort to consolidate panthic votes, cautions against agency

Says in the 2024 LS polls, you got emotional and voted for persons (Amritpal and Sarabjeet Khalsa) brought by agencies
In a bid to consolidate panthic votes in favour of the Shiromani Akali Dal in the run up to the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday cautioned Punjabis to “beware of agency” as they might bring a new entrant in the fray and even provide support to a new political outfit to weaken the SAD as they did in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

“In the 2024 parliamentary elections, you got emotional and voted for persons brought by agency,” Sukhbir said, addressing the party’s “Punjab Bachao” rally at the Jagraon Assembly constituency in Ludhiana district.

The SAD chief urged people to “understand this conspiracy, and support the SAD for the welfare of Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiat”.

In the 2024 parliamentary elections, Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan separatist and preacher, who has been lodged at the Dibrugarh jail in Assam after he was arrested under the NSA, was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Khadoor Sahib constituency under the umbrella of “Panth Khalsa”.

His victory highlighted the support for his platform in that region.

Also, Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh, one of the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, won the 2024 Lok Sabha election as an Independent from the Faridkot constituency in Punjab.

The former deputy chief minister said the SAD alone was concerned about their welfare.

“Do you think Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi), Arvind Kejriwal or Rahul Gandhi care for your issues?

The parties in Delhi always discriminated against Punjab.”
The SAD chief cited that Punjab was denied its right to have its own capital, that half of its river waters were allocated to Rajasthan in violation of the Riparian Principle, and that Punjabi-speaking areas were left out when the state was reconstituted in 1966.

“SAD is committed to correcting all these historical injustices.

Once the party forms a government in 2027, it will stop the flow of water to the Rajasthan canal.

We will construct new canals and divert this water to the fields of our farmers.”
Sukhbir also announced to make Jagraon a district.

“The next SAD government will make Jagraon a district.”
Badal accused the AAP government of “destroying” the state’s democratic framework.

“In the elections to the chairman of the Baghapurana Block Samiti on Tuesday, the AAP stole the chairmanship despite having only eight members compared to the SAD’s 15 members.

The same happened in Mansa.”
The former deputy CM alleged, “Not just this, the AAP government is also using gangsters like Jaggu Bhagwanpuria to intimidate political opponents in electing chairpersons to Block Samitis.”
Sukhbir further alleged that the media was also forced to toe the line.

“Those who refused were persecuted.

See what is happening with the Punjab Kesri group.

Their hotel’s boundary was demolished without giving them a chance to take recourse to appeal.”
Accusing the AAP government of trying to deceive Punjabis with a Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 monthly stipend to women, Badal said, “The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann government has taken a loan of Rs 52,000 crore and sold government land to give this allowance to women for six months.

In this process, the government has also withheld power subsidy to PSPCL.

This will spell doom for Punjab and its farmers.”