BAGHAPURANA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to Punjabis to rally behind the SAD to bring back the era of development, saying the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments had taken the State back by twenty years.
Participating in the Nihal Singh Wala and Bagha Purana leg of the Punjab Bachao Yatra which evoked a tremendous response with thousands coming onto to road to felicitate the SAD president, Mr Sukhbir Badal said “no development has taken place in Punjab during the last seven years of Congress and AAP rule. The State has gone down on all parameters – be it financial, infrastructure building, rural development, civic amenities or provision of social welfare benefits”.
Asserting that only the SAD could ensure all round development, Mr Badal, who was accompanied by Subedar Baldev Singh Manuke in Bagha Purana and Tirath Singh Mahla in Nihal Singh Wala, said “Delhi based parties have looted you repeatedly. Even presently chief minister Bhagwant Mann is dancing to the tunes of his boss Arvind Kejriwal and is busy in spending Punjab funds to spread AAP’s network in other States. Due to this everyone is suffering. “Women who were promised Rs 1, 000 per month allowance are yet to get Rs 24, 000 due to them since the last two years even as the youth are not getting jobs and the poor are being denied social welfare benefits like aata-daal and old age pension”.
Stating that the need of the hour was to strengthen the SAD, Mr Badal said “this will pave the way for the establishment of a SAD government in the State and usher in an era of speedy development and prosperity”. He said the SAD had a track record of not only bringing in big projects like thermal plants, airports and four lane highways but was also responsible for unique social welfare schemes including the aata-daal scheme, old age pension scheme and shagun scheme besides path breaking steps like providing free power to farmers.
Mr Badal also related how the drug menace had attained alarming proportions during the AAP government. “Right now we are virtually witnessing home delivery of drugs. This is because AAP legislators are in league with drug traffickers and are taking monthlies from them. This is why the police are unable to arrest the kingpins behind the drug trade”.
Mr Badal also detailed how he had been linked with Baghapurana since decades. “This constituency has always reposed faith in me during my parliamentary elections from Farikdot”. He also remembered the sacrifices made by Jathedar Tota Singh, a towering figure from this region, during his campaign in Bagha Purana. Jathedar Ji’s son Barjinder Singh Makhan Brar and Moga district president Amarjit Singh Langheke also accompanied the SAD president.
Mr Badal thanked people from both constituencies for coming out in huge numbers to join the Punjab Bachao Yatra, saying “the movement to dethrone the corrupt and scam tainted anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi AAP party has started and will result in the SAD winning all 13 parliamentary seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election”.