Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has told the people of Punjab that if they want progress for Punjab, this ‘daas’ stood at their doorstep. “But if people instead wanted bicycles punctured or beds woven, they could choose Charanjit Singh Channi or Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann,” he said.
He was referring to remarks made by other leaders, saying Charanjit Singh Channi had once said he could weave beds, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had claimed he could repair punctured bicycles.
Addressing a huge gathering of over 10,000 people at Koomkalan during his “Punjab Bachao” rally, Badal began his address with “Waheguru Ji da Khalsa, Waheguru Ji di Fateh”. He said that when India gained independence in 1947, people had a dream that the country would progress. Every five years, people cast their votes with the hope that the party that understands their aspirations will come to power.
Referring to the division of Punjab and Haryana in 1966, he said nearly 60 years had passed since then. During this period, the Congress ruled the state for about 25 years, after which “Badal Saab” served as Chief Minister, and now this “malang” Chief Minister had come to power.
He described the 22-year tenure of Parkash Singh Badal as a golden period for Punjab, claiming that major development projects — thermal plants, dams, airports and four-lane highways — were realised due to Badal’s vision. He added that initiatives related to agriculture, river management, 13.5 lakh tubewell connections and underground power cables were also undertaken during Badal’s tenure.
Badal further said that schemes such as meritorious schools, the Shagun scheme, pension programmes and road infrastructure were implemented during that period. Urging people not to “experiment” again, he appealed to voters to save Punjab and choose their Chief Minister wisely.
He also referred to remarks made by other leaders, saying Charanjit Singh Channi had once said he could weave beds, while Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had claimed he could repair punctured bicycles.
“If you want progress for Punjab, this ‘daas’ stands at your doorstep,” he said, adding that if people instead wanted bicycles punctured or beds woven, they could choose Channi or Mann.
He said that during those years, Punjab resembled a continuous “mela”, with happiness and development visible everywhere. Referring to the speeches of rival parties, he claimed that the Congress rarely spoke about development, while the AAP government, according to him, had only one target — the Badals — because they had no concrete agenda of their own.
He further alleged that attempts were made to weaken SAD and that institutions linked to the Guru Ghar were being influenced by agencies from Delhi. He said there had been repeated efforts to weaken the Akali Dal and take control of institutions such as the SGPC and the Akal Takht, although those attempts, had not succeeded.
Taking a swipe at national parties, he said leaders in Delhi — whether Amit Shah, Narendra Modi or the Gandhi family — could not care for Punjab the way Parkash Singh Badal did. He urged people to think carefully and act to safeguard Punjab and its youth.
He added that his aim was not to see Punjab’s youth migrating abroad, but to create opportunities for them within the state. He said he wished to establish a world-class skilled university at Sahnewal so that young people could find employment at home. Badal promised students free education.
Speaking about agriculture, he said tubewell connections would be provided to farmers to support the sector.
On river conservation, he said cement-concrete embankments would be constructed along rivers and strict measures would be taken to prevent polluted water from entering the Sutlej and the Beas.
Referring to the water-sharing issue, he claimed that water being diverted to Rajasthan would be taken back, adding that Punjab was the only state that had provided water to several other states. He said that if SAD remained strong, Punjab’s rights would be protected; otherwise, those rights could be compromised.
He also alleged that some individuals had paid large sums to secure Rajya Sabha memberships, claiming that Rajinder Gupta had paid Rs 75 crore and the owner of Lovely Professional University Rs 50 crore to become members. He added that SAD could never stoop to such a level.
Sahnewal constituency leader Simranjit Singh Dhillon said it was time for “Punjab Bachao”. He said it had been nine years that SAD was not in power but the mammoth gathering showed that masses still love the party and its leadership.
Dhillon said there was a need to save Punjab from the present ruling government, saying, “Ek hi ullu kaafi tha barbaad gulistaan karne ko, Har shaakh pe ullu baitha hai, anjaam-e-gulistaan kya hoga.” (One owl was enough to ruin the whole garden, Now when an owl sits on every branch, what will happen to the garden)