Tag: SAD

  • 2022 Punjab polls: Akali leader refuses to contest from seat announced by SAD

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Former minister and Akali leader Sikander Singh Maluka on Sunday refused to contest from Rampura Phul constituency after his name figured in the list of three candidates announced by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the upcoming assembly polls.

    Maluka said the ticket should be given to his son Gurpreet Singh Maluka.

    The SAD on Sunday announced the names of three candidates for the 2022 assembly elections.

    It fielded Sikander Singh Maluka from Rampura Phul, Parkash Singh Bhatti from Bathinda Rural and Darshan Singh Kotfatta from Bhucho assembly seat.

    These three seats fall in Bathinda district.

    ​ALSO READ | Season of change: Former Akali minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan joins AAP ahead of Punjab polls

    “SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced three more candidates for Vidhan Sabha election. Mr Sikandar S Maluka from Rampura Phul, Parkash Singh Bhatti from Bathinda Rural & Darshan Singh Kotfatta from Bhuchon assembly constituency,” said SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema in a tweet.

    After his candidature for Rampura Phul seat was announced, Maluka said his son Gurpreet Singh Maluka has been working in this constituency for the last one year and the ticket should be given to his son.

    He said the party did not consult him before announcing his name for the Rampura Phul seat.

    Maluka said he should be fielded from Maur seat.

  • Former Punjab minister and SAD leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan joins AAP in Kejriwal’s presence

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) leader and former Punjab minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday in the presence of party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

    Sekhwan was a minister in the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali government.

    After reaching the Amritsar airport in the afternoon, Kejriwal travelled to the residence of Sekhwan at his native village Sekhwan in Gurdaspur district.

    Kejriwal welcomed Sekhwan after inducting him into the Aam Aadmi Party.

    Addressing the media, the Delhi Chief Minister said, “He blessed us and joined our family. We welcome him in our family and we want him to guide us.”

    ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਰਾਜਨੀਤੀ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਜਾਣਿਆ-ਪਛਾਣਿਆ ਨਾਮ, ਜੱਥੇਦਾਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੇਖਵਾਂ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਮੈਂ ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਵਾਗਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਹੁਣ ਸਮੁੱਚੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਉਮੀਦ ਬਣ ਗਈ ਹੈ, ਅਸੀਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਹਰ ਉਮੀਦ ਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਮੁਕਾਮ ਤੱਕ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਜਾਵਾਂਗੇ। pic.twitter.com/M7PexCEq6c
    — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 26, 2021
    Earlier, Kejriwal spent some time at Sekhwan’s residence and inquired about his wellbeing.

    The Punjab assembly polls are due early next year.

    Sekhwan, 71, was a senior vice-president of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

    He quit the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2018 after raising a banner of revolt against the party leadership.

    Thereafter, Sekhwan, former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala had formed the SAD (Taksali).

    He later switched over to the SAD (Democratic) formed by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa last year.

    The SAD (Sanyukt) was floated in May this year after the dissolution of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led SAD (Democratic) and SAD (Taksali).

  • SAD leader Bikram Majithia slams Navjot Sidhu on Rs 3 power supply promise

    By PTI

    ISRU: SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Sunday hit out at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, accusing him of trying to mislead people with a “fake” promise of power supply at Rs 3 per unit.

    The Shiromani Akali Dal leader asked him to tell people why the Congress government was not implementing this promise now.

    Addressing a gathering to pay tributes to Shaheed Karnail Singh Isru on his death anniversary, Majithia said Punjabis were surprised at Sidhu’s latest promise to provide domestic power at Rs 3 per unit.

    He asked Sidhu to explain who was stopping him from implementing this promise now when the state is already being run by his party government, a party statement said, quoting Majithia.

    He said the truth was that Sidhu had refused to become power minister of the state despite having an opportunity to provide this relief to the people two years back as power minister.

    Sidhu has been pitching for a reduction in the power tariff.

    Majithja said Sidhu was “never serious” about resolving the people’s problems and was only interested in indulging in “theatrics to befool” the people.

    The SAD leader also asked the PPCC president why promises made to people by the Congress party on the eve of the 2017 assembly elections were not fulfilled when he was a minister for two-and-half years which comprised half of the government tenure.

    “Where is ‘ghar ghar naukri’ and full loan waiver for farmers?” he asked.

    He said Sidhu was now again trying to befool people with another bunch of “fake and false promises”.

    Majithia said following people’s aspirations, the SAD-BSP alliance had prepared a 13-point agenda to ensure social welfare and the development of the state.

    He said every family would be provided 400 units of free power every month, Rs 2,000 will be provided every month to blue-cardholder women who are leading their families, besides providing 50 per cent reservation to women in all government recruitments.

    He announced that as a tribute to Shaheed Karnail Singh Isru, Khanna will be made a district if the SAD-BSP alliance is voted to power in 2022.

  • SAD slams MP over plight of Sikligars

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday slammed the alleged eviction of Sikligar Sikhs from Madhya Pradesh and deputed a five-member delegation to visit the state to assist the community, which claims it is being harassed, victimised and forced by the state’s police force to leave their homes and take shelter in forests. 

    More than 35,000 Sikligars live in Madhya Pradesh along the Narmada River. Both the Punjab and Madhya Pradesh police have in recent times cracked down on the community on the allegations of manufacturing arms and supplying them to anti-social elements.

    Sukhbir Badal said Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa would head the delegation to meet the Sikligar community members, police and civil administration to verify all the facts and resolve the grievances.

    Members of the Sikligar community claim that they have been ignored for decades and even implicated in false criminal cases. The community claims it is finding it difficult to make ends meet as it has been denied land grants or jobs.

    Sikligars are a community of blacksmiths, who once specialised in polishing weapons. It is said that the title Sikliga was bestowed upon them by Guru Gobind Singh. Badal said the SAD deputation would take up the issue of the rehabilitation of Sikligars. “We will pursue the possibility of a package to mainstream them,” he added.  Sirsa said it was shocking to witness the current state of Sikligars. “We will meet the Chief Minister soon and ensure that lease of their lands is restored,” Sirsa added.

  • After alliance with BSP for 2022 Punjab polls, SAD now trying to rope in CPI(M), CPI

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Having stitched an alliance with the BSP for the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, the opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is now working towards broadening the coalition by roping in two Left parties to take on the ruling Congress, sources said on Wednesday.

    The SAD announced its alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in June, months after it had severed its decade-old tie-up with the BJP over the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.

    Sources in the SAD said the party has held meetings with leaders of the CPI(M) and the CPI to form a grand alliance.

    When contacted, CPI(M) Punjab unit secretary Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon said SAD leaders have met him but nothing has been finalised yet.

    There are some issues which need further discussions, thereafter a clear picture about the alliance may emerge, Sekhon said.

    The SAD and the CPI(M) had forged an alliance in 1967 and formed the first non-Congress government in Punjab.

    Communist veteran Harkishan Singh Surjeet had played an instrumental role in formation of that government.

    The SAD and the BSP have come together after a gap of 25 years.

    They had contested the 1996 Lok Sabha polls together and the alliance had won 11 out of 13 seats in Punjab.

    In the last assembly elections in 2017, the SAD managed to win just 15 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, registering its worst performance.Sources in the SAD said the party has held meetings with leaders of the CPI(M) and the CPI to form a grand alliance.

  • Badal says one Deputy CM to be from Hindu community if SAD-BSP comes to power

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said that a post of a deputy chief minister will be given to a person from the Hindu community if the SAD-BSP alliance comes to power in the state.

    Badal said Punjab will have two deputy CMs if the alliance is voted to power in the assembly elections scheduled to take place next year.

    He had earlier announced that one deputy CM post will be given to a Dalit.

    He said this will make the SAD-BSP alliance, if voted to power, truly representative of the composite Punjabi culture and a symbol of unity, peace and communal harmony as espoused by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

    Last month, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had formed an alliance for the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

    After a meeting of the SAD’s core committee on Thursday evening, Badal said, “We understand that there are external forces which want to disturb the peace of Punjab by pitching communities against each other.”

    “We want to guarantee Punjabis that the SAD will continue to follow the policies of Parkash Singh Badal under which all religions were respected and honoured.”

    He said, “We are committed to keeping all communities together and it is with this in mind that the SAD has decided to have a representative from the Hindu community as a deputy CM once it secures power in Punjab,” he said.

    Badal said he had already announced — on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhim Rao Ambedkar — that the SAD would offer the chair of a deputy CM to a Dalit once voted to power.

    He said Punjab has the highest population of Dalits vis-a-vis other states and it was felt that more efforts should be made to protect their interests.

    “Earlier also it was the SAD which had extended the maximum social welfare benefits to the Dalit community when in government,” he said.

    The SAD president said the decision to have two deputy CMs was in consonance with “the liberal secular ethos of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ (well-being of all) handed down to us through the rich heritage of the great Gurus”.

    “It is also symbolic of the strong emotional bonds that bind the different communities together.”

    Badal also said in the forthcoming Parliament session, the SAD would move an adjournment motion demanding the three agricultural laws be repealed.

    He appealed to all political parties to support the SAD in this endeavor.

    He said the party would continue to raise its voice for the farmers till all their grievances are resolved.

  • Punjab sacrilege incidents: Navjot Sidhu attacks previous Badal government

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday raised the issue of the 2015 sacrilege incidents, but this time he chose to attack the previous SAD-BJP dispensation for not holding a proper probe into the matter, instead of his own government in Punjab.

    This comes days after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi, amid efforts by the party leadership to end factionalism in its unit in the poll-bound state.

    Sidhu had been openly attacking Singh, alleging delay in the delivery of justice in a case related to desecration of a religious text and the subsequent police firing incidents at Faridkot in 2015.

    He has been critical of the chief minister after the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April quashed a probe into the 2015 firing case In a series of tweets on Monday, Sidhu said, “Pertinent questions of People of Punjab on Beadbi issue to Badals :- 1. Why no proper inquiry by Badal government into theft of “Bir of Guru Granth Sahib Ji” at Village Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015, which led to sacrilege, followed by protests and firing in October 2015.”

    He also asked, “What were the actions taken against officers who falsely implicated two brothers, Rupinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh for sacrilege?”. 

    Why had the erstwhile Parkash Singh Badal government not taken action in the sacrilege matter, the Congress leader asked.

    “Why no action taken by Badal government during two years in sacrilege cases before 2017 elections, despite Justice (Retd.) Zora Singh Commission inquiry report and SIT (Special Investigation Team) led by Ranbir Singh Khatra pointing needle of suspicion to Dera Sacha Sauda men?” he said.

    Sidhu also tweeted, “Have asked every relevant question on Beadbi issue to everyone who should be held accountable over the past few months and in the last six years. What is the point in repeating but questions must be asked to the real culprits, the Badals. Repeating but questions must be asked to the real culprits, the Badals”.

  • Many leaders of Congress, SAD, BJP in touch with AAP, may join soon: Harpal Cheema

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: Many senior Congress, SAD and BJP leaders in Punjab are in touch with members of the Aam Aadmi Party and may soon join it, AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema said here on Sunday.

    The Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly made the comment while talking to media persons after a meeting with businessmen.

    Responding to a question about the AAP’s preparations for the Punjab Assembly elections to be held early next year, Cheema said the party will fight the polls on its own.

    On another query on Anil Joshi, who was expelled from the BJP, Cheema said, “Many senior leaders of the Congress, the BJP and the Akali Dal were in touch with the leaders of his party and they have expressed desire to join the Aam Aadmi Party.”

    Joshi was expelled by the Punjab BJP for six years on Saturday for his alleged “anti-party” activities.

  • ‘Beg, borrow’ but ensure 24-hour power supply, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal tells Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday slammed the Punjab government over power crisis in the state and asked Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to “beg, borrow and buy power” to provide round-the-clock electricity to the people.

    He further told the chief minister that people need electricity, “not excuses”.

    Punjab is reeling under an unprecedented power shortage with urban and rural areas facing load shedding and voltage fluctuations.

    “@capt_amarinder beg, borrow, buy power; scrap or sign any agreement- do what it takes but give power 24×7 to domestic, minimum 8 hrs daytime to farmers & industry. Stop looking up to skies/rain gods. Deliver or quit. People need power, not excuses. And need it now,” said Badal in a tweet.

    He lambasted Amarinder for “failing” to add more power generation capacity in his tenure.

    “@captain_amarinder 4.5 years: Rise in power demand 4000 MW. Generation capacity added: ZERO UNIT. It actually fell by 880 MWs. Don’t BLAME agreements. SCRAP them. Give power. BIJLEE, NOT BLAME is what Punjabis are crying for,” said Badal.

    On Monday, the SAD chief had asked Amarinder to scrap power purchase pacts but should also ensure that any power shortfall, with this move, is covered at cheaper rates.

  • SAD objects to presence of ‘non-member’ in SIT that questioned Badal senior

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: The SAD on Tuesday strongly objected to the presence of a non-member in the Punjab police SIT which visited former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to question him in 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident in Faridkot.

    The Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), reached Badal’s Sector 4 MLAs’ flat and questioned him for nearly two-and-a-half hours.

    The SIT team was accompanied by the state government Prosecution Director Vijay Singla, who remained present with the SIT members during questioning of Badal, but who, the SAD leaders claimed, was not an official member of the probe team.

    Objecting to Singla presence with the SIT to question the Akali stalwart, the Shiromani Akali Dal alleged that he did not hold any “official position” and it indicated the Congress government was bent upon “politicizing the entire issue”.

    According to Harcharan Bains, principal adviser to the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, the senior Badal asked the SIT “why it won’t widen the probe to investigate Congress and AAP hand in sacrilege conspiracy to defame & destabilize then Akai Govt”.

    “HC (High Court) said Kunwar Vijay Partap (who led investigations of the previous SIT) politicised the probe. This was to vilify Akalis & to turn Sikhs against them. At whose behest? Must be probed, post-HC remarks,” demanded Badal, Bains said in a tweet.

    Objecting to Singla’s presence with SIT officials, senior SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “What is also objectionable is that Director Prosecution Vijay Singla has been made part of the new SIT.”

    “He is not associated with SIT. He does not hold any official position. Does it not prove the government is playing politics? Did they take court’s permission to make him part of the SIT and co-opt him?” Grewal asked.

    The Punjab government had formed the new SIT led by Additional Director General of Police L K Yadav to probe the Kotkapura police firing incident following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    Senior SAD leaders including Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Daljit Singh Cheema, besides SGPC chief Jagir Kaur were present at Badal’s residence.

    Addressing the media, the SAD leaders said Badal cooperated with the SIT like he had done when a previous investigation team had questioned him two years ago.

    Referring to Singla’s presence with SIT, they said at the time of the previous SIT, whose report was quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the investigations were conducted in a “politically motivated” manner and even now the agenda was allegedly politically driven.

    The SIT had rescheduled the questioning after the 93-year-old Badal had expressed his inability to appear before it at a rest house in Mohali on June 16, saying he is not keeping good health.

    “Still not in good health, Badal, however, is keen to fulfil his legal and constitutional duties as a law-abiding citizen of the country,” Bains had said earlier.

    Prakash Singh Badal was the CM when incidents of desecration of Sikhs’ religious text and the subsequent police firing at people protesting against it had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.

    The new SIT is investigating the two FIRs registered on October 14, 2015, and August 7, 2018, in connection with the Kotkapura incident.

    The high court had on April 9 this year quashed a report by an earlier Punjab Police SIT.

    The court had then directed the state government to set up a new SIT without Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, an Indian Police Service officer who was part of the earlier team.

    Singh took voluntary retirement after the court order and on Monday he joined the Aam Aadmi Party in Amritsar in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

    “The high court quashed the previous SIT’s report. We had said that the previous SIT under Kunwar Vijay Pratap was having a political agenda, which has now been proved as a day earlier the officer, who took premature retirement, has joined the AAP,” said Grewal.

    He charged that the fresh SIT head “L K Yadav was promoted overnight as ADGP to head the new SIT. The government’s agenda is not to deliver justice, but political.”

    Grewal said attempts were also being made to “intermingle” Kotkapura firing case and sacrilege cases.

    Cheema said the SAD has been maintaining that the “investigation being conducted is politically motivated. And even now it is politically driven.”

    “Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was acting as an undercover agent of Amarinder Singh and Arvind Kejriwal, which has been proved now with his joining AAP,” Cheema alleged.

    Police had also opened fire at a similar demonstration in Behbal Kalan, also in Faridkot, where two people were killed.

    A separate probe is underway in that case.

    The previous SIT had questioned Badal in 2018.

    At that time, Badal had said that the SIT was “politically motivated” to defame him.

    The new SIT has already questioned former DGP Sumedh Saini and some other police officers.