Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal, along with other senior party leaders, were arrested on Thursday after a prolonged sit-in near a barricading Raj Bhavan to protest the Centre’s move to give additional jurisdiction to the BSF. Punjab.
A SAD spokesperson said the dharna was “organized in solidarity with the Punjabis, who are humiliated in the manner of the chief minister.” Charanjit Singh Channi had colluded and surrendered to the Centre, which had increased control of law and order in half of the state. “
The SAD president was arrested and taken to Sector-3 police station along with senior leaders and activists. After the arrest, Akali workers raised slogans against the Congress BJP For “plotting an anti-Punjab conspiracy”. Later the police released them.
On Thursday, Sukhbir was stopped by the police while he was trying to proceed towards the Raj Bhavan. Blocked by police barricades, Sukhbir decided to address party workers from the spot and said, “This is the second time that the Center has imposed Punjab’s rights in quick succession. The Center has discriminated against the farmers of the state by bringing three agriculture laws. Now it is effectively controlling more than half of the law and order in the state by expanding the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF).
Terming the move as an “attack on the federal structure of the state”, he said, “Now our holy temples too – like Shri Darbar Sahib, Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath – will come under the control of the central forces. SAD wants to correct this wrong. As we stand for a genuine federal structure. It is reprehensible that the Chief Minister agreed to the anti-Punjab move during his meeting with the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah on October 5. Channi only served the interests of the state. Sold in the office for a few more months to be safe.
Taking a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, Sukhbir further said that due to the expanded jurisdiction of BSF, Randhawa’s house has also come under the jurisdiction of BSF.
Badal Jr further added, “Earlier also Punjab was discriminated against when the Congress government used to snatch the river water. A few years back, we also lost control over the revenue generated by us with the introduction of the GST regime. Now ours The land and its police are also being snatched from us.
“Punjab has not yet rejected the latest move,” he said, assuring Punjabis that “once the SAD-BSP coalition government is formed in the state, the new move will be null and void.”
Akali leader and former minister, Bikram Singh Majithia said, “The Centre’s new move had reminded people of the dark days of militancy when central forces had completely occupied the state”. “As Prisons Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa had supported the move by saying that the control of the prisons should be given to the CRPF,” he said.
Former MD of Laborfed SAD. rejoined
Parvinder Singh Sohana, former Managing Director of Laborfed, joined the SAD on Thursday along with several senior leaders of the sector. Sohana and his team – which includes former block committee member Amarjit Singh Mouli, former chairman of the land mortgage bank, Numbardar Baljit Singh Dairy. Manmohan Singh, and the numberdar, Karmjit Singh – were welcomed back to the SAD by Sukhbir Badal. Sukhbir assured Sohana and others that they would be given “due respect and recognition in the SAD”.
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