Chandigarh, October 28
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the administrative system had totally collapsed with chief minister Bhagwant Mann running away from the field after realizing that the people would reject him in 2027 even as he asserted Punjab was with Punjabis and the SAD.
The SAD president, who was talking to newsmen before presiding over a meeting of the party’s constituency incharges, said, “Never has Punjab witnessed such a situation while referring to cases like that of Daljit Singh, whose mortal remains were forcibly taken away from the family by the police. “As there is no commander in Punjab, the police are also acting on their own which is unprecedented”.
Asserting that Punjab was with Punjabis, Badal said “Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Punjab will not affect Punjabis in any matter whatsoever as they have decided to support their own regional party which alone can rise up to their expectations and aspirations”. Answering a media query, Mr Badal said “we are ready to form an alliance with any political party which accepts our ideologies and policies”. He said he had already made it clear that the SAD would never align with either the Congress or AAP. “Whenever any alliance proposal comes we will consider the same”, he added.
Meanwhile briefing newsmen after the end of the party meeting, senior leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the Punjab Yatra which was to be initiated on November 10 would now be launched on November 15. Asserting that party president Badal would lead the Yatra, Dr Cheema said it was being postponed due to the festival season as well as the fact farmers were busy in Mandis.
The SAD leader also announced that the SAD president would start a special programme under which he would meet traders and industrialists across 12 constituencies starting tomorrow. He said 12 Vidhan Sabha constituencies would be covered under this programme with the first meeting being held at Sangrur and Barnala tomorrow.
He also announced that a party delegation would meet the Punjab Human Rights Commission and appeal for action against police personnel who had forcibly taken the mortal remains of Daljit Singh from his family at Mansa. He said the fact that the aggrieved family was also beaten up in this process would also be taken up with the Commission. He said other cases of police high handedness would also be taken up with the Commission.
The meeting also expressed condolences with the families of SGPC members Suba Singh Dabwali and Amarjit Singh Bhalaipur who passed away recently.