CHANDIGARH-Aam Aadmi Party Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Tuesday said the Akali Dal (Badal)’s latest ‘Punjab Bachao’ campaign was another attempt to mislead Punjabis, asserting that people had not forgotten the party’s record in government, its support for the three farm laws and its repeated U-turns on sensitive issues concerning Punjab and the Sikh community. He said the Akali leadership could not erase its past through political slogans while evading questions about its actions and decisions.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said, “From 2007 to 2017, when the Akali-BJP government ruled Punjab, the state witnessed the spread of chitta, the rise of gangsters and the growth of transport, cable and sand mafias. The same leaders who are now claiming to save Punjab presided over the state during that period. Punjabis have every right to question their record.”
Referring to the three farm laws, the AAP Punjab Media In-charge said the Badal family had openly supported the legislation when it was introduced and repeatedly tried to convince people of its benefits. He cited statements by late Parkash Badal, Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal in support of the laws. “Sukhbir Badal himself spoke about the Akali Dal’s demand to dismantle the existing mandi system. The three farm laws threatened the mandi infrastructure through which Punjab’s farmers sell their produce. The Akali leadership initially supported these laws and changed its stand only when farmers and the people of Punjab recognised the danger they posed to agriculture and the political consequences of that support became evident, ” he said.
He also pointed out the withholding of Rural Development Fund (RDF) funds by the BJP government to attempts to weaken Punjab’s mandi infrastructure, saying the Akali Dal needed to explain its positions on issues directly affecting farmers and the state’s rural economy.
Referring to the developments following the 2015 beadbi incidents, Baltej Pannu said the Akali leadership had changed its position after appearing before Sri Akal Takht Sahib on December 2. “Sukhbir Badal had acknowledged responsibility for the events surrounding the beadbi incidents and the subsequent police action at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, but later claimed that statements had been made under pressure, ” he added.
“Punjabis have not forgotten the 2015 beadbi incidents, the treatment meted out to the Sikh sangat at Kotkapura or the deaths of two people in the Behbal Kalan police firing. These events remain deeply painful for Punjab. The Akali leadership must answer for its actions instead of attempting to change its narrative whenever it faces political pressure, ” said Baltej Pannu.
Questioning the deletion of a social media post by Akali MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal hours after it was published, Baltej Pannu sought an explanation from the Akali leadership over its response to the recent incident at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. “Why does the Akali leadership repeatedly change its position on sensitive Sikh issues while claiming to represent Punjab and the Sikh community? People deserve clarity and consistency from leaders who invoke Sikh sentiments and religious institutions in their political campaigns, ” he said.
Baltej Pannu also questioned the silence of Sukhbir Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Bikram Majithia over the woman who stayed at a sarai in Sri Anandpur Sahib. He sought clarity on the circumstances surrounding her stay and what the Akali leadership knew about the matter. “The Akali leadership cannot evade questions about the functioning of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its own role in the institution. Matters concerning Sikh institutions demand transparency and accountability, not silence when difficult questions are raised, ” he said.
On the issue of Bandi Singhs, Baltej Pannu said the letters written by Akali leaders and their positions on the matter were available in the public domain for everyone to examine. “The contrast between the Akali leadership’s public claims and its past actions raises serious questions about its credibility. Punjabis deserve to know why the party’s positions change repeatedly on issues of such importance, ” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Baltej Pannu said the Akali Dal Badal was once again attempting to mislead Punjabis through its ‘Punjab Bachao’ campaign, but the people of Punjab had not forgotten its record. “The people of Punjab have not forgotten the stand of Badals on three farm laws, the 2015 beadbi incidents, the Kotkapura police action or the Behbal Kalan firing. No amount of political drama or new slogans can erase these memories. Punjabis know the difference between those who stand with them and those who repeatedly betray their trust, ” he said.