Lok Sabha election: Sukhbir Badal kicks off Ranike’s campaign from epicentre of sacrilege incidents
He said chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh committed the biggest crime by not fulfilling his promise to eradicate the drug menace for which he had taken a pledge carrying a Gutka Sahib in his hands at a public meeting before the last assembly elections.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday kicked off the campaign of party’s Faridkot candidate Gulzar Singh Ranike. The constituency falls in the area that was the epicentre of sacrilege incidents in 2015.
Addressing rallies in Jaitu and Giddarbaha, Sukhbir sought to turn tables on the Congress party over the Panthic issues
At Doda village of Giddarbaha in Muktsar district, he appealed to people to see through the “nefarious designs” of the Congress to mislead them using religious symbolism.
He said chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh committed the biggest crime by not fulfilling his promise to eradicate the drug menace for which he had taken a pledge carrying a Gutka Sahib in his hands at a public meeting before the last assembly elections.
He said Amarinder also failed to fulfil his promises on farm loan waiver and providing jobs to unemployed youth. “The Captain government is the worst non-performer in the history of Punjab and people will wipe the Congress out in parliamentary elections,” he said.
Having been cornered over the Panthic front in the wake of 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents, the SAD had so far been maintaining a low-profile in Faridkot district.
The Jaitu rally was also very crucial for the party as Bargari, Niamiwala, Sarawan, Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Behbal Kalan villages in this area have remained a hub of political and religious activities in the past over three years.
In Jaitu, around 11km from Bargari, Sukhbir said that those who have attacked Golden Temple in 1984 and killed hundreds of Sikhs are now talking about sacrilege incidents.
He said the Akali Dal has always been the representative party of Sikhs and always stood for the community.
Regarding the transfer of IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was member of SIT probing the sacrilege and police firing incidents, after a SAD complaint, he said, “We complained against him as he was working as Congress government’s mouthpiece. He implicated Mantar Brar (former SAD MLA) in the police firing case. Mantar, being the elected representative of the constituency, could call officials to ensure law and order in his area.”
Sukhbir said India gained prominence in the world under the Modi regime. “The country needs a strong prime minister to move forward.”