Phillaur: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday challenged chief minister Bhagwant Mann to fund the Aam Aadmi Party‘s proposed 16,000 rallies and nukkad meetings from party resources, not the state exchequer.Addressing a rally, Sukhbir said failure to do so would indicate the initiative is driven by corruption, not public welfare.Reacting to the AAP govt’s decision to hold 16,000 rallies and nukkad meetings across the state, Sukhbir alleged that the AAP govt was following the same modus operandi which it pursued while holding rallies and placing advertisements earlier. “Their plan is to pay excess govt funds to vendors and take back 40 to 50 per cent as ‘commission’. They not only hold rallies at govt expense but also requisition state transport buses to ferry the people to and fro from the rallies,” he alleged.“Now, the CM is going to celebrate his daughter’s birthday at the commissioner’s residence in Jalandhar, which he has appropriated in a most lavish manner. Besides tent and luxury catering, top singers will also be available to entertain the guests,” he said.Box – ‘Agencies trying to weaken SAD’Addressing the rally, Sukhbir also alleged how “the agencies” were trying to weaken the SAD as well as Sikh religious institutions. He said the SGPC was broken under a planned conspiracy to create a separate gurdwara committee for Haryana. “Similarly, the management committees of Takht Hazur Sahib and Takht Patna Sahib were taken over by the state govts. The BJP took control of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. However, the agencies did not stop there,” he said.In an apparent reference to the Sikh high priests, who pronounced the Dec 2 edict, awarding tankhah (religious punishment) on him and directed fresh enrolment of the SAD, Sukhbir alleged, “These elements prevailed on the jathedars to take action against me. They were also responsible for trying to eliminate me while I was performing sewa at Darbar Sahib.” Asserting he would never be intimidated by such acts, Sukhbir said, “For me, the pride and honour of the party and the Panth is foremost.” MSID:: 129824197 413 |
