Stage set for Akalis ‘Zabar Virodhi’ rally in Patiala today

Former CM Parkash Singh Badal camped in Patiala district for three days and addressed gatherings in all eight assembly segments.

All preparations are in place for the Shiromani Akali Dal’s ‘Zabar Virodhi’ rally in chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh’s home bastion on Sunday. The party claims that the rally will be a power-packed political show.

With much at stake, the SAD has gone all out in the past 10 days while making arrangements for this rally. (HT Photo)

With much at stake, the SAD has gone all out in the past 10 days while making arrangements for this rally. They have mobilised people from across state for this show of strength rally at Mehmadpur village, situated on the outskirts of Patiala.

Former CM Parkash Singh Badal camped in Patiala district for three days and addressed gatherings in all eight assembly segments. During his addressings, he reiterated the importance of the Patiala rally for the party SAD and appealed to the party supporters and members to reach the protest site.

“You (workers) can gauge the importance of the rally from the fact that I have personally come here to appeal to you all to reach the site at any cost,” Badal said.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, along with senior leaders MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, visited the rally site to oversee the last-minute arrangements.

Sukhbir said that on the rally day, a record gathering in Patiala will give a befitting reply to the Congress government’s suppression and lies.

“Our party will expose the Congress government.Their leaders are hell bent on defaming the Akalis over the sacrilege issue and are spreading wrong propaganda against us among people,” the SAD president said.

Rakhra said, “The state government is trying its level best to lay hurdles for us, but our supporters will reach the venue, despite all such attempts.”

To counter this, the ruling Congress is also holding a parallel rally at Killianwali in Lambi, which is the home constituency of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Jumping on the bandwagon, even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its rebel group, led by Bholath MLA Sukhpal

Singh Khaira, are organising rallies to protest against the Bargari incident at Kotakpura in Faridkot district.

Tight security arrangements

Following the attack on Sukhbir’s cavalcade in Sangrur, the district police have made elaborated security arrangements to ensure that the law and order situation is maintained in the city, especially at the venue.

As Mehampur village is situated on the Zirakpur-Bathinda national highway, traffic police will be deployed to ensure that there is no interruption in the vehicular movement.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said that over 1,000 police personnel, including four superintendents of police (SPs) and nine SP-level officers have also been deployed on the site.

“Quick response teams (QRT), along with medical team and duty magistrates, will be placed at strategic points. Moreover, the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) vans will remain stationed on the site,” Sidhu added.

He further said that security arrangements were made in accordance with advance liasoning with the organisers.