Akali Dal Demands Immediate Wage Settlement for Khanna Labourers

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal criticized the Punjab government for its handling of a protest by employees and labourers in Khanna on July 15. Badal claimed that the demonstration, which involved chanting "Satnam Waheguru", was met with harsh police tactics including baton strikes, water‑cannon fire, and tear‑gas deployment. He highlighted that the participants were contract staff and impoverished workers demanding payment of overdue salaries. Badal warned that such heavy‑handed tactics erode democratic norms and called the government's response a "stick‑government". He pledged that a future Akali Dal government would prioritize and resolve the pending wage issues.