Sukhbir Badal dismisses reports of SAD-BJP fighting 2022 Punjab polls separately

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Bal on Monday indicated that alliance with BJP was in place in Punjab, days after its ally decided to contest Delhi elections alone. Asked wher S and BJP would fight 2022 assembly elections separately, Bal told reporters in Amritsar that “se (such reports) are just in media and he has been hearing such reports for last 20 years.”

Hitting out at Congress-led state government for t sticking to its election promise of giving free smartphones on January 26, he said:

"I want to tell you that y (Cong-led govt) will t give anything (to people). y are just giving dates. People of Punjab will send m packing after two years".

Education minister Vijay Inder Singla h said on Sunday in Patiala that he was expecting that free smartphones would be given to youth before March 31. Bal alleged that drug and sand mining mafias were “proliferating” under alleged “patron” of Congress ministers in Punjab.

“ DGP has control over Punjab Police while lower rank officers-- DSP and SHOs were working at behest of Congress leers. I can give you details of many cases in which Congress leer got drug suppliers released,” alleged Bal.

Lashing out at state government, S chief said Congress led government was hiding its “failures” under excuse of empty coffers.

“We ran government under leership of (Parkash Singh) Bal sahib and never gave a statement of empty coffers,” said Bal, ding state saw "unprecedented" development under ir regime.

“But Captain sahib is t accessible,” he said slamming Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

On issue of CAA, Bal said his party was in favour of amended Citizenship Act which was why it voted in favour of it. But at same time his party wanted Muslim community be included in CAA.

“ S follows principles of Guru Sahib who always preached 'Sarbat Da Bhala' (welfare of all) and discrimination. This nation is a united country and it belongs to people of all religions,” he said.

S h earlier anunced in Delhi that it would t contest Delhi polls next month after it was asked by ally Bharatiya Janata Party to change its stand on contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On Punjab CM opposing CAA, Bal asked Amarinder Singh wher he did t want thousands of persecuted Sikhs, Hindus, Jains and ors in Pakistan, Banglesh and Afghanistan get relief under amended Citizenship Act. Bal accused Singh of following “orders” of Gandhi family to “save his chair”. Bal also slammed rebel Akali leer Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and or splinter groups like S (Taksali), accusing m of trying to weaken S.

(Im Credits: PTI)