Former SAD president appeals to SAD workers to stand with farmers
CHANDIGARH: Former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers to stand by farmers and not allow the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to suppress them and their democratic movement.
In a statement here, the senior SAD leader said “it is for the first time in the history of the State and country that Kisan leaders have been called for talks by the State and Central government and then lathi charged and arrested. The AAP government has also gone back on its commitment to engage with the farmers to find a resolution to their grievances. I appeal to Akali workers to fight this suppression and stand in solidarity with the Annadaata”.
Sukhbir Badal the high handedness against farmers including the arrest of the Kisan leaders, forcible clearance of ‘dharna’ sites at Shambu and Khanauri and lathi charge and suppression of their democratic voice had occurred because the State had been overtaken by AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal and the latter’s cronies. “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the council of ministers have been reduced to the status of rubber stamps. Kejriwal has taken over as the “real” chief minister of Punjab and it is under his orders that these atrocities have been inflicted against the farmers”.
Asserting that Punjab had suffered during the tenure of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh who made false promises and took back Punjab by five years, Mr Badal said “the AAP government is doing the same. Forget farmers, they have betrayed each and every section of society be it the trade and industry, women, weaker sections or the youth”. He said the situation had become such that there seemed to be no government existing in Punjab. “Gangsters have taken over the State and the drug mafia has been given a free hand to operate at will.”
Urging people to support the SAD and unite under its banner, Mr Badal said “our record speaks for itself.
The earlier SAD tenure in the State was known for a period of rapid progress with world class roads, airports, infrastructure projects and social welfare schemes being implemented successfully across the State”. Urging the people to understand their well wishers, Mr Badal said “the SAD is a regional party which has always understood and guarded the regional aspirations of the people of the State. We will continue to do this”, he added.