Says unfortunate centre wanted to install its rubber stamps as heads of Sikh institutions
Amritsar: Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today appealed to the Sikh community to defeat forces bent on breaking Sikh institutions and wresting control over them by installing their puppets at top positions.
Talking to media after participating in the 102nd anniversary of the SAD during the course of which he participated in the ‘Ardas’ (prayer) following completion of Akhand Path at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh ji in the Sri Akal Takth Sahib complex, the SAD (Badal) president said it was unfortunate that the centre wanted to install its rubber stamps as heads of Sikh institutions. He asserted that no one should interfere in the internal matters of the community. “We have a right to religious freedom. It should be respected”.
He stated that the SAD had always trodden the path shown by the Guru Sahiban and would continue to work on the maxim of ‘sarbat da bhala’. “We know there can be progress in Punjab only if there is respect for all religions and communities and we are committed to taking everyone together to achieve this”.
Answering a query, he said the law and order situation had collapsed completely and that the SAD was holding a meeting of its core committee tomorrow to decide on the next course of action to force the AAP government to wrest control of the State from the hands of gangsters. He detailed how he had visited many families affected by the recent spate of extortions and killings and been told that the police force was completely ineffective. “Investment has already stopped coming into Punjab. Even ordinary businessmen are shifting base to Haryana. Extortion calls have become a norm and people are too afraid to go to the police. Such a state of affairs has never been witnessed in Punjab”.
In reply to another question, he said it was shameful that Transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar had referred to all transporters as mafia. He said Punjabis had excelled in the transport sector in the country and even abroad. “They have done so by the dint of their hard work”. He said it was condemnable that they were being tagged as ‘mafia’, a word associated with criminals. Speaking about the utterances of the Transport minister against the transport companies of the Badal family, he said “our family has been working in the transport sector since independence. Never have we been accused of any illegal activity. Attempts have been made by the erstwhile Transport minister Raja Warring and the present government also to stop our buses from plying but we have got relief from the High court. Now also we will serve a legal notice to the Transport minister for implying we are indulging in illegal activity and follow all legal remedies to ensure justice it done to us.
The SAD president also castigated chief minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to protect the rights of Punjab. He said first the chief minister failed to protect Punjab’s rights vis a vis management of BBMB and later on the issue of allocation of land to Haryana in Chandigarh to construct a separate Vidhan Sabha. “Now the AAP government has also failed Punjab officers posted in Chandigarh who are being marginalized to insignificant posts and even being relieved from duty as in the case of Punjab cadre officer Kuldeep Chahal who was removed as SSP, Chandigarh.
