News Analysis India

Tag: SAD

  • For Panthic votes, Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) prefers Left to BJP

    With Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) striving to regain Panthic support and unite all Akali Dal factions, Punjab-based party leaders feel the environment is not favourable for alliance with former decades-old ally BJP.

    Akali leaders believe the party would continue its alliance with BSP and may form a grand alliance by joining hands with Left parties, including CPM and CPI.

    Last month, on Akali Dal’s 103rd anniversary, Badal apologised for his government’s “administrative failures” in the 2015 sacrilege cases and urged for breakaway reunification for Panthic unity. He publicly apologised for failing to apprehend Guru Granth Sahib desecration culprits in 2015 under his tenure.Akali Dal has always highlighted Sikh issues, but after the defeat in 2022 assembly polls, Badal has been trying to reclaim panthic votes and shared the stage with hardline Sikh leaders like SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann and Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Dadduwal. Recently, Badal and the SGPC president visited the family of Late Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke and pledged full support to them. Kaunke’s family claims six police officers killed the Sikh spiritual leader.

    Senior Akali Dal leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder believes the party would prioritise religion and agriculture (Panth te Kisani). Bhunder stated “the situation and circumstances are not conducive for alliance with BJP.” Both parties will struggle to agree ideologically, especially with the current BJP leadership.”

    He added that beside BSP there are many options for SAD, including Left parties such as CPM and CPI. The party had allied with Left parties in the past as well.SAD leader Naresh Gujral also ruled out alliance with BJP, saying, “there is no scope.”Akali Dal, the founder of NDA and BJP’s oldest ally, moved out of the ruling alliance in 2020, following the protest over the three farm laws. The laws were later taken back by the government.

  • SAD expels Jagir Kaur from party over decision to contest SGPC presidential poll

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday expelled Bibi Jagir Kaur from its primary membership for alleged anti-party activities after she stuck to her stand of contesting the November 9 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee presidential poll.

    The action came after Jagir Kaur failed to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee, which had asked to explain her decision of contesting the election.

    Kaur, who has held the post of the SGPC chief thrice previously, was adamant on contesting the poll.

    Once considered a Badal family loyalist, Kaur on Sunday rolled out her agenda for the SGPC presidential polls, promising to restore the autonomy of the apex gurdwara body.

    She had been pressing to be the party’s nominee for the SGPC poll.

    Kaur, a former MLA from the Bholath seat, had been the SGPC chief in 1999, 2004 and 2020.

    Addressing the media here on Monday, SAD’s disciplinary committee chairman Sikandar Singh Maluka said the disciplinary action against Kaur was taken after exhausting all other options, including giving the leader an opportunity to present her point of view through a personal hearing.

    “The SAD has always sought to present ‘panthic’ unity by putting forward a single candidate for the post of president of the SGPC after the party president takes the views of all members individually. We fail to understand why Bibi Jagir Kaur wanted to change this and create confusion in the Sikh community as it only helps forces inimical to the ‘panth’,” he said.

    Maluka said the party had given her chances to explain her position but she failed to respond.

    “We are left with no option except to take action against her. The disciplinary committee today decided to expel her from the party. Her primary membership to the party has been cancelled. Her services in the party have ended now. The party has nothing to do with Bibi Jagir Kaur,” he said.

    Maluka said Kaur started preparing to contest the SGPC elections three months ago by approaching SGPC members.

    He said senior SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Surjit Singh Rakhra had urged her to abide by party discipline.

    “Even SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal apprised her about the viewpoint of SGPC members and counselled her not to insist on contesting the polls,” said Maluka.

    But Kaur remained insistent, Maluka said, adding she started calling up and meeting with members to solicit their support.

    “Things got out of hand when there were complaints from SGPC members that senior BJP leader and Minority Commission Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura was ringing up members to solicit support for Bibi Jagir Kaur,” Maluka claimed.

    Last week, Kaur was suspended from the party after she dug her heels in for contesting the election, against the party’s wishes.

    The SAD had earlier issued a two-day ultimatum to Kaur to stop “anti-party” activities, failing which, it said, strict disciplinary action would be taken against her.

    “Following this, two repeated extensions were given to her to explain her viewpoint and today she was given time to explain her case in person,” Maluka said.

    However, instead of doing this, she is questioning the formation of the disciplinary committee, he added.

    Disciplinary committee member Virsa Singh Valtoha released a purported audio clip, claiming that an Amritsar-based BJP leader was telling a SGPC member that he would arrange the latter’s meeting with Lalpura.

    The SAD has already announced incumbent Harjinder Singh Dhami as its candidate for the post of president of the apex gurdwara body.

    The party’s decision to announce its candidate was also a marked departure from the practice of declaring its nominee on the day of the poll.

    The SAD earlier had slammed Lalpura for allegedly seeking support for the candidature of Jagir Kaur for the forthcoming polls while accusing him of trying to break the SGPC.

    CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday expelled Bibi Jagir Kaur from its primary membership for alleged anti-party activities after she stuck to her stand of contesting the November 9 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee presidential poll.

    The action came after Jagir Kaur failed to appear before the party’s disciplinary committee, which had asked to explain her decision of contesting the election.

    Kaur, who has held the post of the SGPC chief thrice previously, was adamant on contesting the poll.

    Once considered a Badal family loyalist, Kaur on Sunday rolled out her agenda for the SGPC presidential polls, promising to restore the autonomy of the apex gurdwara body.

    She had been pressing to be the party’s nominee for the SGPC poll.

    Kaur, a former MLA from the Bholath seat, had been the SGPC chief in 1999, 2004 and 2020.

    Addressing the media here on Monday, SAD’s disciplinary committee chairman Sikandar Singh Maluka said the disciplinary action against Kaur was taken after exhausting all other options, including giving the leader an opportunity to present her point of view through a personal hearing.

    “The SAD has always sought to present ‘panthic’ unity by putting forward a single candidate for the post of president of the SGPC after the party president takes the views of all members individually. We fail to understand why Bibi Jagir Kaur wanted to change this and create confusion in the Sikh community as it only helps forces inimical to the ‘panth’,” he said.

    Maluka said the party had given her chances to explain her position but she failed to respond.

    “We are left with no option except to take action against her. The disciplinary committee today decided to expel her from the party. Her primary membership to the party has been cancelled. Her services in the party have ended now. The party has nothing to do with Bibi Jagir Kaur,” he said.

    Maluka said Kaur started preparing to contest the SGPC elections three months ago by approaching SGPC members.

    He said senior SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Surjit Singh Rakhra had urged her to abide by party discipline.

    “Even SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal apprised her about the viewpoint of SGPC members and counselled her not to insist on contesting the polls,” said Maluka.

    But Kaur remained insistent, Maluka said, adding she started calling up and meeting with members to solicit their support.

    “Things got out of hand when there were complaints from SGPC members that senior BJP leader and Minority Commission Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura was ringing up members to solicit support for Bibi Jagir Kaur,” Maluka claimed.

    Last week, Kaur was suspended from the party after she dug her heels in for contesting the election, against the party’s wishes.

    The SAD had earlier issued a two-day ultimatum to Kaur to stop “anti-party” activities, failing which, it said, strict disciplinary action would be taken against her.

    “Following this, two repeated extensions were given to her to explain her viewpoint and today she was given time to explain her case in person,” Maluka said.

    However, instead of doing this, she is questioning the formation of the disciplinary committee, he added.

    Disciplinary committee member Virsa Singh Valtoha released a purported audio clip, claiming that an Amritsar-based BJP leader was telling a SGPC member that he would arrange the latter’s meeting with Lalpura.

    The SAD has already announced incumbent Harjinder Singh Dhami as its candidate for the post of president of the apex gurdwara body.

    The party’s decision to announce its candidate was also a marked departure from the practice of declaring its nominee on the day of the poll.

    The SAD earlier had slammed Lalpura for allegedly seeking support for the candidature of Jagir Kaur for the forthcoming polls while accusing him of trying to break the SGPC.

  • Punjab: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh announces groundbreaking changes aimed at strengthening the party

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Sensing that all is not well within the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as a section ofsenior party leaders are demanding a change in the leadership, clearly indicating that Sukhbir Singh Badal should step down as the party chief.

    Sukhbir took everyone by surprise and announced that the party president would be eligible to hold office for two terms of five years each following which the incumbent would have to take a break of one term.

    Sukhbir announced that the party would concentrate on developing the next generation of leaders by reserving fifty per cent seats in the forthcoming assembly He said changes would be effected at the highest level of decision-making in the party – the core committee – also. 

    “This will lead to induction of fresh leadership at the very top”, he added. He also announced the formation of an Advisory Board including intellectuals and learned people from all walks of life who would advise the President on important matters.

    Sukhbir said elections to the new organizational structure would be completed by November 30 under the supervision of the Central Election Body. He said 117 Observers would be appointed to oversee the entire exercise across all constituencies of the State. “The focus will be on the creation of Booth Committees which will choose the Booth President. The latter will elect the Circle Presidents who in turn will elect the District Presidents.’’

    Keeping in view the focus on strengthening party organizations, Sukhbir announced that the YAD and SOI would be reconstituted and that the Sikh Student Federation would be revived. He said the upper age for YAD members would be 35 years of age with a five-year concession in age being given to the President.

    ALSO READ | SAD seeks CBI, ED probe into Punjab’s excise policy ‘scam’; meets Governor

    He said similarly the upper age of SOI and SSF members would be thirty years only and only students would be enrolled in these organizations. The new changes also include the formation of a Parliamentary Board which will examine ways and means to attract the best talent into the party as well as suggest the best candidates for the assembly elections.

    Badal announced that a Disciplinary Board headed by Sikander Singh Maluka had already been created and appealed to party workers to air their differences in the appropriate party forums and not go to the media.

    SAD  president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday announced a set of groundbreaking changes aimed at strengthening the party.

     ‘One family one election formula’ to ensure that no other post is given to any family member of the constituency in charge. 
    District presidents will not contest elections 
    50% of seats in the forthcoming assembly election are reserved for party workers below the age of fifty.
    Sikh office bearers in the party would be `Sabat Soorat’ 
    The president of the party would be eligible to hold office for two terms of five years each. For the third term, one year gap is mandatory. 
    Formation of the government Chairmanships at both the district and State level would be given to party workers and family members of MPs and MLAs would not be considered for these posts. 
    Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes would be given due representation in the party at all levels. 
    He said the core committee would be reconstituted to include members of the new generation including youth, women and representatives of all sections of society.
    Special efforts will be made to reach out to NRIs and address their concerns and grievances.
    A high-level advisory board consisting of writers, scholars, intellectuals, Panthic personalities and experts in different fields is to be formed. 
    SOI and Sikh Students Federation will be confined to Colleges with only an age limit of 35 years.
    Party to have its parliamentary board – recommend issues/matters to the SAD president for the final decision
    Chairmanships on boards/Corporations and other imp offices in Zila Parishad/Block Samiti are to be given to party workers only.

    CHANDIGARH: Sensing that all is not well within the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) as a section of
    senior party leaders are demanding a change in the leadership, clearly indicating that Sukhbir Singh Badal should step down as the party chief.

    Sukhbir took everyone by surprise and announced that the party president would be eligible to hold office for two terms of five years each following which the incumbent would have to take a break of one term.

    Sukhbir announced that the party would concentrate on developing the next generation of leaders by reserving fifty per cent seats in the forthcoming assembly He said changes would be effected at the highest level of decision-making in the party – the core committee – also. 

    “This will lead to induction of fresh leadership at the very top”, he added. He also announced the formation of an Advisory Board including intellectuals and learned people from all walks of life who would advise the President on important matters.

    Sukhbir said elections to the new organizational structure would be completed by November 30 under the supervision of the Central Election Body. He said 117 Observers would be appointed to oversee the entire exercise across all constituencies of the State. “The focus will be on the creation of Booth Committees which will choose the Booth President. The latter will elect the Circle Presidents who in turn will elect the District Presidents.’’

    Keeping in view the focus on strengthening party organizations, Sukhbir announced that the YAD and SOI would be reconstituted and that the Sikh Student Federation would be revived. He said the upper age for YAD members would be 35 years of age with a five-year concession in age being given to the President.

    ALSO READ | SAD seeks CBI, ED probe into Punjab’s excise policy ‘scam’; meets Governor

    He said similarly the upper age of SOI and SSF members would be thirty years only and only students would be enrolled in these organizations. The new changes also include the formation of a Parliamentary Board which will examine ways and means to attract the best talent into the party as well as suggest the best candidates for the assembly elections.

    Badal announced that a Disciplinary Board headed by Sikander Singh Maluka had already been created and appealed to party workers to air their differences in the appropriate party forums and not go to the media.

    SAD  president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday announced a set of groundbreaking changes aimed at strengthening the party.

     ‘One family one election formula’ to ensure that no other post is given to any family member of the constituency in charge. 
    District presidents will not contest elections 
    50% of seats in the forthcoming assembly election are reserved for party workers below the age of fifty.
    Sikh office bearers in the party would be `Sabat Soorat’ 
    The president of the party would be eligible to hold office for two terms of five years each. For the third term, one year gap is mandatory. 
    Formation of the government Chairmanships at both the district and State level would be given to party workers and family members of MPs and MLAs would not be considered for these posts. 
    Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes would be given due representation in the party at all levels. 
    He said the core committee would be reconstituted to include members of the new generation including youth, women and representatives of all sections of society.
    Special efforts will be made to reach out to NRIs and address their concerns and grievances.
    A high-level advisory board consisting of writers, scholars, intellectuals, Panthic personalities and experts in different fields is to be formed. 
    SOI and Sikh Students Federation will be confined to Colleges with only an age limit of 35 years.
    Party to have its parliamentary board – recommend issues/matters to the SAD president for the final decision
    Chairmanships on boards/Corporations and other imp offices in Zila Parishad/Block Samiti are to be given to party workers only.

  • SIT summons Sukhbir in 2015 Faridkot firing case

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  A Special Investigation Team has summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 30 for questioning in the 2015 police firing on a crowd in a desecration case.Badal was the deputy CM-cum-home minister in SAD-BJP government when incidents of desecration of religious texts and subsequent police firing on protestors took place at Kotkapura in Faridkot district.

    The SIT had questioned Badal in June last year for the same incident. Many senior SAD leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema and NK Sharma had gone to the institute to show support for the leader.

    The SIT, led by Additional DGP LK Yadav, had earlier questioned former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the case. Badal, however, said he was yet to receive the notice and promised he would cooperate in the probe. “The Congress and the current AAP government have played politics over the issue,” he said.The notice came days after the Faridkot district and sessions court said the proceedings in the Behbal Kalan firing case will not move further in the trial court until the charge sheet in the Kotkapura firing case is filed by the SIT.

    This will be the first time during the AAP regime when Badal will be quizzed in the Kotkapura firing case. Two SITs have earlier questioned him thrice in this case. The SIT led by Additional DGP LK Yadav, which was formed last year in May, had questioned Badal the following month. Another SIT formed earlier under former IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is now an AAP MLA, had questioned him in November 2018.

    Saini was removed as the Punjab DGP by then CM Parkash Singh Badal in 2015 following incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent violence in which the police was accused of excesses that left two people dead.

    CHANDIGARH:  A Special Investigation Team has summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 30 for questioning in the 2015 police firing on a crowd in a desecration case.
    Badal was the deputy CM-cum-home minister in SAD-BJP government when incidents of desecration of religious texts and subsequent police firing on protestors took place at Kotkapura in Faridkot district.

    The SIT had questioned Badal in June last year for the same incident. Many senior SAD leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema and NK Sharma had gone to the institute to show support for the leader.

    The SIT, led by Additional DGP LK Yadav, had earlier questioned former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the case. Badal, however, said he was yet to receive the notice and promised he would cooperate in the probe. “The Congress and the current AAP government have played politics over the issue,” he said.
    The notice came days after the Faridkot district and sessions court said the proceedings in the Behbal Kalan firing case will not move further in the trial court until the charge sheet in the Kotkapura firing case is filed by the SIT.

    This will be the first time during the AAP regime when Badal will be quizzed in the Kotkapura firing case. Two SITs have earlier questioned him thrice in this case. The SIT led by Additional DGP LK Yadav, which was formed last year in May, had questioned Badal the following month. Another SIT formed earlier under former IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is now an AAP MLA, had questioned him in November 2018.

    Saini was removed as the Punjab DGP by then CM Parkash Singh Badal in 2015 following incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent violence in which the police was accused of excesses that left two people dead.

  • EC announces RS poll schedule for five seats in Punjab

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: As the term of five Rajya Sabha members elected from Punjab is going to expire in April, the Election Commission (EC) has announced the schedule for the biennial election to the Upper House of Parliament from the state.

    The term of office of Rajya Sabha members Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (Shiromani Akali Dal), Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress), Shwait Malik (BJP), Naresh Gujral (SAD) and Shamsher Singh Dullo (Congress) is due to expire on April 9.

    Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju on Sunday said according to the schedule, the notification for the biennial election will be issued on Monday (March 14).

    The last date for filing nominations is March 21, while a scrutiny of the nominations will be carried out on March 22, according to an official release. The last date for withdrawal of candidature has been fixed on March 24.

    Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on March 31 and the counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm on the same day. The poll process shall be completed before April 2, Raju said.

    He further informed that the nomination papers are to be filed with the secretary of the Assembly, who is the returning officer for the Rajya Sabha election.

    Nomination papers cannot be presented on March 18 because of the festival of Holi and on March 20 (Sunday).

    However, nomination papers can be filed on March 19.

    In order to become a member of the council of states, a candidate should be registered as a voter in any parliamentary constituency in the country.

    To satisfy the returning officer on this count, the candidates should produce a certified copy of the relevant entry of the electoral roll in force, the release said.

  • No post-poll alliance with SAD: Union minister Hardeep Puri

    By PTI

    LUDHIANA: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday ruled out the possibility of a post-poll alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab.

    The senior BJP leader categorically said the alliance of the two parties was a “bad marriage”. The SAD did not allow the saffron party to expand its base in Punjab, he alleged.

    Puri further said the Akalis did not even allow a Sikh leader to emerge from the BJP. The Union minister for housing and urban affairs was talking to reporters here.

    BJP general secretary Dushyant Gautam and chief spokesperson of the party’s state unit Anil Sareen were also present.

    The SAD parted ways with its old ally BJP in 2020 over three contentious farm laws of the Centre.

    To a question on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arresting Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh alias Honey in a money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining, Puri said the BJP does not believe in vendetta politics.

    On the promises made by the BJP and its allies Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (Sanyukt) ahead of the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls, he said those are related to the revival of the state’s economy.

    The Union minister added that the BJP delivers what it promises.

    “If the BJP-led alliance is voted to power in Punjab, it would issue a white paper on the state’s economy,” he said. Earlier, Puri addressed a meeting of the local industrialists here.

  • Majithia announces he is answering the call of duty by contesting from Amritsar East alone

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The Amritsar (East) assembly segment is set to see one of the most high-profile contests, as Bikram Singh Majithia of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accepted the challenge posed by Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu and will contest only from Amritsar East and his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia will now contest from Majitha.

    Former minister Majithia said he had decided to answer the call of duty and contest the forthcoming assembly elections from Amritsar (East) constituency and hand over the responsibility of the Majitha seat to his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia.

    He said he has foreseen a feeling of confusion in the minds of the people of Amritsar East who would rightfully feel that he might forsake the seat if elected from two constituencies. “I have addressed this concern and decided to contest the next elections from Amritsar East alone,’’ he said.

    Majtihia said the election was also about breaking the arrogance of Madhya Pradesh Congress President Navjot Sidhu. 

    “I have decided to teach him to respect the people of the constituency. You will see that he will start to love people by the end of the campaign. He will learn to respect elders. He will have to stop making statements in the air and will have to descend down to the level of the common man,’’ he said.

    Asserting that the people of Amritsar East felt humiliated by Sidhu’s behaviour, the SAD leader said, “Sidhu has never participated in any social function of the constituency. He has not gone to grieve at anyone’s passing away. He is not only unmindful of his constituents but also deceives them by promising projects like sports stadiums and over bridges on the eve of elections and forgets about them once the elections are over.” 

    “Now when he goes to meet the people he will see for himself the state of roads and streets in his constituency. People will ask him why he failed to ensure even basic facilities to them including potable drinking water and sewerage facilities. Now the time has come for him to be answerable to his constituents,’’ he said.

    Asserting that he had come to win hearts in Amritsar East, Majithia said, “I have won the hearts of the people of Majitha with arduous work and dedication. I have been one with them and they have returned my affection manifold by electing me to office manifold times. It is with a heavy heart that I am shifting from Majitha to Amritsar East. It has not been an easy decision. But I felt that sometimes in politics, circumstances force you to take such difficult decisions. This is one such instance. I am grateful to the people of Majitha as well as my core team for giving me permission and blessings to contest the forthcoming elections from Amritsar East.’’

    Majithia said he was confident his wife Ganieve Majithia would serve the people of the Majitha with utmost dedication. “It is not an easy decision for her also but I am confident she will do her best to continue the family’s tradition of service to the people.’’

    The SAD had fielded Majithia from two seats – Amritsar East and neighbouring Majitha.

  • Badal’s own tractors, Sukhbir has horses and weapons

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Both former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal own only tractors and no cars. 

    As per the affidavit, Sukhbirl has horses worth Rs 95.82 lakh, two weapons valued at Rs 3 lakh and immovable properties worth Rs 52.95 crore were part of the total assets of Rs 122.77 crore. The 59-year-old Sukhbir Singh Badal has two tractors (Tractor Tafe, Model 1999 and tractor Holland 5500) worth Rs 2.38 lakh in his name and gold jewellery worth Rs 9 lakh, his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal has gold jewellery worth Rs 7.24 crore. While she also has one weapon worth Rs 1.25 lakh and paintings worth Rs 3.40 lakh.

    Among his immovable properties, Sukhbir owns agricultural, non-agricultural land and commercial properties in Muktsar, Sirsa (Haryana), Ganganagar (Rajasthan), Ludhiana and Jalandhar. He has a 2,225 square yards residential house in Sector 9 of Chandigarh with a market value of Rs 23.72 crore. His liabilities including bank loans etc are worth Rs 37.62 crore.

    Also, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal father of Sukhbir Badal who filed his nomination papers from Lambi has one tractor only. He has shown assets worth Rs 15.11 crore of these Rs 2.71 crore liabilities and Rs 8.40 crore moveable assets and Rs 6.71 crore immovable. While last time his assets were Rs 14.48 crore.

    The 94-year-old Badal filed his nomination from his home turf of Lambi and thus he became the oldest candidate in the electoral fray in the country, as this is his thirteenth assembly election. Badal was the youngest sarpanch when he got elected from Badal village in 1947 and in 1970 he became the youngest Chief Minister and in 2012 he became the oldest CM.

    While Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi filed his nomination papers from the Bhadaur (SC) seat, after filing his nomination papers, Channi said, “I have come with a mission in Malwa (region),” he said, adding that this area is backward in terms of development. Also, former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh filed his nomination from Patiala (Urban).

  • NDPS case: SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia given anticipatory bail by HC, asked to join investigation

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, facing arrest in an NDPS case, involving sale, purchase and manufacturing of drugs among other offences, was on Monday granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    A bench of Justice Lisa Gill, however, asked the SAD leader to join investigation with the police.

    While granting Majithia the pre-arrest bail, Justice Gill also asked him to not to leave the country till the next date of hearing and share his live location with the investigating agency through WhatsApp.

    The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader’s counsel, Damanbir Singh Sobti, said Majithia will join the investigation at 11 am on Wednesday.

    “In the event of his arrest, petitioner shall be released on interim bail till the next date of hearing to the satisfaction of Investigating / arresting Officer,” Justice Gill said in in the order.

    “…keeping in view the facts and circumstances, it is considered expedient at this stage, that the petitioner at the first instance, should join investigation,” he added.

    Accordingly, it is directed that the petitioner should appear before the Investigating Officer on January 12 at 11 am.

    “He shall fully cooperate in the investigation of this case,” he added.

    The 46-year-old SAD leader was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act last month.

    He had moved the high court for anticipatory bail after a Mohali court dismissed his pre-arrest bail plea on December 24.

    Listing the matter for further hearing on January 18, the judge said, “Needless to say, the present interim order is without prejudice to the right of the prosecution to press for custodial interrogation, if required.”

    Senior advocate P Chidambaram along with state advocate general represented the Punjab government while senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi and RS Cheema represented the petitioner.

    Hearing took place through video conferencing because of Covid-19.

    Justice Lisa Gill directed that the petitioner shall further appear before the investigating agency as and when required and shall provide his mobile number to it which would be available and switched on at all times.

    “Petitioner shall not directly or indirectly try to contact any of the witnesses or anyone connected with the case in any manner,” said the order while directing Majithia to abide by these conditions.

    Earlier, Majithia’s counsel Sobti said, “After seeing all the records, the high court gave directions that this is a case where he can join the investigation and when he joins the investigation, he will not be arrested.”

    Replying to a question, Sobti said certain “additional facts” were brought to the court’s notice, claiming that former Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya had promoted Assistant Inspector General Balraj Singh’s son Princepreet Singh from the rank of sub-inspector to that of inspector by using special powers.

    Balraj Singh is the head of the special investigation team that is probing the case against Majithia.

    The SAD has been alleging that the FIR against Majithia is a result of “political vendetta”.

    Reacting to the relief granted to Majithia, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a tweet, said “justice prevails”, while his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal said “truth always triumphs, no matter how big the lie is”.

    Majithia is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal and the brother of former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

    Reacting to the development, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, in Moga, said interim bail does not mean the case is over and Majithia will have to join the probe on Wednesday.

    The former Punjab minister was booked under the NDPS Act on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into the drug racket in the state.

    The report was filed by anti-drug special task force (STF) chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018.

    The 49-page FIR in the matter was registered by the state Crime Branch at its Mohali police station.

    Majithia was booked under sections 25 (punishment for allowing one’s premises for its use for the commission of an offence), 27A (for financing sale, purchase, production, manufacture, possession, transportation, use or consumption, import and export or any act pertaining to narcotics) and 29 (abetting or plotting an offence) of the NDPS Act.

    In his bail plea, the SAD leader had submitted that the Congress government in Punjab had “left no stone unturned to misuse its powers and position for wreaking vengeance upon its political opponents”.

    The Channi government had come under attack from the Aam Aadmi Party and even from state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for not being able to arrest Majithia, though the police had conducted raids to nab him.

    Photos of Majithia, showing him at the Golden Temple, had also gone viral on social media.

    Punjab Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, however, had dubbed the photos as “fake”.

  • BSP leadership sold party to SAD; AAP modern East India Company: Charanjit Singh Channi

    By PTI

    JALANDHAR: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday accused the BSP leadership of backstabbing the Scheduled Castes community by “selling” the party to the Shiromani Akali Dal.

    He also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), calling it the modern day East India Company aimed at “plundering the wealth of the state”, and said its national convener Arvind Kejriwal does not even know how to milk a cow.

    Targeting the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Channi said it no longer represents the ideology of its founder Kanshi Ram.

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    Its leadership backstabbed the Scheduled Castes community by “selling” the party to the Akali Dal, Channi said.

    He alleged that the BSP “sold” 15 of 20 seats allotted to them to the Akali Dal.

    The BSP leadership has made itself a “slave” of the Akali Dal, he added.

    For the Assembly polls next year, the SAD has forged an alliance with the BSP.

    As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the Mayawati-led party will fight 20 of the 117 Assembly seats in Punjab while the rest will be contested by the SAD.

    Taking on AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, the CM dared him to explain why Punjabis should believe him when his own “flock does not have faith in him”.

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    He claimed three of four AAP MPs elected in 2014 have left the party and even 11 out of 20 MLAs elected in 2017 have too left.

    Channi said this is indicative of the fact that the Aam Aadmi Party is a “house of cards that is bound to doom in a day or two”.

    The chief minister said Kejriwal has no basic knowledge about the state due to which he does not know that in Punjab, every youth has to do multitasking every day for running his household.

    Kejriwal does not even know how to milk a cow, what does he know about problems of the state, Channi said.

    Terming AAP the “modern East India company”, he said Kejriwal’s party aims at “plundering wealth of the state”.

    ALSO READ | Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi starts loan waiver scheme for SC, backward classes

    Channi said he himself faced hardships, so he is well aware of problems of the common man.

    Due to this reason only, he is ensuring optimal utilisation of all government funds for the well-being of the poor and common man, he claimed.

    Addressing the gathering, former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar urged people not to vote by falling in the “malicious” propaganda of any party.

    “Those leaders who are teaching the lesson of nationalism to us today were nowhere in scene when India was fighting for freedom and only the Congress Party did the fighting,” he added.

    In his address, AICC general secretary Harish Chaudhary slammed the Akalis, the BJP and the AAP leadership for working against the interest of the state.

    He said Channi is the representative of the poorest of poor in the state.