(Also urges people to analyse what the Congress and AAP had don vis a vis the SAD)
Faridkot
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to Punjabis to reject Delhi based parties who were bent on dividing people among caste and communal lines, even as he urged them to support their own regional party which was fighting to safeguard their rights.
The SAD President, who addressed massive rallies in Gidderbaha, Rampura Phul, Jaito and Kotkapura in support of party’s Faridkot Lok Sabha seat candidate Rajwinder Singh, said “Punjab is at the crossroads. On the one side are the Delhi based parties who have always looted the State and have consistently denied Punjabis their genuine rights. On the other hand is the Shiromani Akali Dal which has stood up before the centre to demand MSP be made a legal entity, Punjab’s river waters be secured and religious authority of its institutions be respected”.
Sukhbir Badal also appealed to the people to analyse what the Congress and AAP had delivered vis a vis the SAD. “Both these parties have betrayed you. They have gone back on their promises to waive farmer loans, end drug menace, give Rs 2,500 per month unemployment allowance and Rs 1,000 per month allowance to women”. He said in stark contrast the SAD had undertaken a number of pro-farmer and pro- poor steps without even promising the same. “We introduced the free power facility for farmers. We introduced novel social welfare schemes like atta- daal, Shagun and old age pension”.
Condemning the AAP government and its chief minister Bhagwant Mann for working against the interests of Punjab, Badal said “this government has not brought one project to Punjab till now. Instead of getting any investment to Punjab it is presiding over the flight of capital from Punjab to neighbouring States. He said in stark contrast the erstwhile SAD governments had made Punjab power surplus by establishing thermal plants, bringing world class facilities like AIIMS to the State and creating four lane highways and airports.
Badal also appealed to the people to remember June 1,1984 while exercising their franchise on the same day next month. The Congress government under Indira Gandhi attacked Sri Darbar Sahib on June 1 and subsequently sponsored the genocide of Sikhs, he added.
Senior leaders Harinder Singh Hinda, Balkar Singh Brar, Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, Suba Singh Badal, Mantar Singh Brar, Parambans Singh Romana, Mohit Gupta, Yadwinder Singh Yadi and Gurchet Singh Bargari also addressed the gatherings in their respective areas.