Sukhbir Singh Badal appoints her Bholath Halka In-charge; appeals to Akali leaders who left the party to return to the Panth’s organisation

Kapurthala, 15 November (H.S.): The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) received a major political boost in the Doaba region on Sunday as party president Sukhbir Singh Badal re-inducted senior Akali leader and former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur into the party.

Addressing a large gathering at Begowal, Badal announced her appointment as the party’s Halka In-charge of the Bholath constituency. He appealed to all Akali leaders who had left the SAD to return to what he described as the “Panth’s organisation” and unite to drive anti-Panth forces out of Punjab. He also urged voters to support Bibi Jagir Kaur in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Describing Bholath as a Panthic constituency and a stronghold of the Panth, Badal said Bibi Jagir Kaur’s return along with her team would strengthen the party. He asked her to take all sections along.

Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Badal alleged that Punjab was facing a serious crisis due to the growing drug menace and gangster culture. He accused some AAP leaders and MLAs of providing protection to drug traffickers in return for monthly payments.

He said former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had introduced several welfare schemes, including the Atta-Dal, Shagun, old-age pension and SC scholarship schemes. He alleged that neither the Congress nor the AAP had made comparable contributions to the state and promised that schemes discontinued or diluted by the present government would be restored if the SAD returned to power.

Appealing to voters to remove the AAP government, Badal said Punjab could not afford to give another opportunity to either the AAP or the Congress. He claimed that an SAD government would eliminate gangster culture from the state within three months and ensure faster development, better law and order and accountability among officials.

Speaking to reporters later, Badal said AAP leaders involved in corruption would be held accountable. He also criticised the state government for awarding the contract for buses under the Teerath Yatra scheme to a Delhi-based contractor, alleging that condemned buses were being used and describing the matter as a criminal act.

Bibi Jagir Kaur said major development works in Bholath, including the creation of a sub-division and a sewerage project worth ₹72 crore, had taken place during SAD rule. Acknowledging mistakes in the past, she said she would now work under Sukhbir Singh Badal’s leadership to strengthen the party and help it form the government in Punjab.

Rajneet Kaur, Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh, Satpal Singh Multani, Surinderpal Singh Thekedar and Arwinder Singh Rasoolpur were also present.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH