Sahnewal, March 14
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said he would steadfastly fight for the rights of Punjab and Punjabis and had complete faith that the people of the State would stand by the SAD and hand it a landslide victory in the 2027 assembly elections.
Reacting to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to go it alone in Punjab, the SAD president while talking to newsmen after addressing a 20,000 strong gathering here as part of the party’s Punjab Bachao campaign, said “every party has the right to take its own decision on alliances”. Asserting that the SAD had contested the 2024 parliamentary elections alone, Badal said “for us the interests of Punjab and Punjabis are supreme, sovereign and above everything else”.
Making it clear that the SAD was very different from Delhi based parties who only came to rule, Badal said the SAD had always stood by its principles and would continue to do so. “Earlier chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was also given many allurements but he chose to remain in jail for 16 years rather than compromise the rights of the State. I will also continue to fight for the rights of Punjab. I have full faith in the wisdom of Punjabis who realize they have been repeatedly betrayed at the hands of the parties of Delhi. I’m confident they will hand 100 seats to the SAD in the forthcoming assembly elections”.
Earlier while addressing the mammoth gathering, Badal said, “Can Amit Shah (Home Minister) or Modi Ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) have the same concern for you as the Badal family or the SAD?” Asserting that all Delhi based parties including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party came to Punjab to loot, Mr Badal said in direct contrast the SAD had always stood with Punjabis through thick and thin while giving the example of the devastating floods last year when the AAP government as well as the central government abandoned Punjabis to their own fate.
Reacting to a demand from former minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon to establish the World Skill University envisioned by the SAD at Sahnewal, Badal said, “We will do this and ensure corporate are involved to ensure precision training can be given to our youth as per the desired skills required by the industry”. He also appreciated the steadfast loyalty of Sharanjit Dhillon towards the party, saying “many leaders left the party thinking it’s finished. Now the same leaders are coming back and virtually breaking down my doors to seek readmission. But my question to them is why did you leave? People who do change with the wind cannot be trusted”.
Asserting that education was most important, Badal said in his vision for Punjab imparting free education till the graduation level was most important. “We will do so once the SAD government is formed. We will also establish one medical, engineering and veterinary college in each district and reserve 50 per cent seats in all colleges for poor meritorious students whose fee will be paid by the government,” he said.
