SAD-BSP heading towards landslide victory in Punjab, says Sukhbir Badal
Addressing gatherings in favour of candidates of the SAD-BSP alliance, Sukhbir Badal said Punjabis were determined to vote out the “corrupt and scam-tainted” Congress government
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has said that his party, along with alliance partner Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was heading towards a landslide victory in the February 20 Punjab polls. He addressed public rallies in favour of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Shiv Kumar at Bassi Pathana and SAD nominee Jagdeep Singh Cheema at Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday.
Addressing the gatherings, Sukhbir said Punjabis were determined to vote out the “corrupt and scam-tainted” Congress government, and simultaneously refusing to repose faith in AAP, which he said was a “party of outsiders”.
“Congress party had not taken a single pro-people decision in the last five years, while the AAP had introduced corruption in Punjab politics by selling party tickets to bad elements,” Sukhbir said.
He said the Congress government denied scholarships to the SC students and free bicycles to girl students. “It also stopped distribution of sports kits and setting up of gymnasiums, the initiatives started during the previous SAD-led regime. People were even kept away from basic facilities by closure of sewa kendras,” Sukhbir said.
He also urged the people to beware of chief minister Charanjit Channi and the alleged “mafia raj” he introduced in the state. “ ₹10-crore haul from Channi’s nephew Honey was just a tip of the iceberg. Crores of (rupees) ill-gotten wealth was transferred from Channi’s private house in Morinda to the chief minister’s official residence in Chandigarh,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, targeting AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Sukhbir said how many times did the Delhi CM visit Punjab in the last five years. “Kejriwal did not even care to send any medical or other relief to Punjab during the peak of the pandemic. Now, he is trying to befool Punjabis by asking for a chance when he knows he cannot deliver anything,” Sukhbir said.
He said instead of doing anything for Punjab, Kejriwal stood for transfer of the state’s river waters to Haryana and Delhi, closure of Punjab’s thermal plants and award of exemplary punishment to farmers for burning paddy stubble.
Badal also condemned Kejriwal’s alleged refusal to order the release of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 Delhi blast case.