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Protest over land compensation: Sukhbir Badal, other Akali leaders marching to CM’s residence detained in Mohali
Shiromani Akali Dal leaders and workers from Punjab led by party president Sukhbir Badal stage a dharna at the border of Chandigarh where they were stopped
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal along with other party leaders and workers was detained in Mohali on Wednesday during a tractor march to the Punjab chief minister’s official residence in Chandigarh against “low compensation” offered to farmers for the land acquired under the central government’s Bharat Mala project.
The Akali leaders, including Prem Singh Chandumajra, Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema and NK Sharma besides Sukhbir, were taken to the Mataur police station but were later released on submitting bail bonds.
Earlier, they staged a dharna at the border of Chandigarh where they were stopped. The representatives of the Road Sangarsh Committee seeking higher compensation for 25,000 acres of land acquired under the road project in 19 districts also joined the protest.
Sukhbir said, “The Congress government in Punjab was not accepting the demand of nearly 2 lakh farmers for fair compensation. The farmers have been duped by the government by offering a compensation of ₹30-70 lakh per acre against the market value of ₹2-3 crore.”
On the other hand, the Akali government gave compensation to the tune of crores of rupees to farmers, he claimed. “Besides, tubewells were dug up free of cost and registration of land they purchased elsewhere was done free of cost,” he added.
Claiming contradictions in CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s statement that anyone linked with the mafia should not approach him, Sukhbir said he had inducted tainted MLAs, including one accused of rape and another named in a murder case, in his cabinet.
