KHATKAR KALAN (NAWANSHAHR): A day after Shiromani Akali Dal passed a resolution stating that the central government would have to honour its written commitment for the release of Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners) who had completed their terms, and to fulfil all promises made to farmers, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said national parties were playing vote-bank politics by pitting one community against the other.
“It is unfortunate that today’s parties are playing vote bank politics and are pitting one community against another. These parties are not following the thoughts of martyr Bhagat Singh,” he said, addressing a seminar after paying tributes at the memorial here on martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. He asserted that his party was committed to the country, Punjab and communal harmony in the same manner as Bhagat Singh and condemned AAP for “misu- sing” martyr’s name and disregarding each and every principle dear to the latter.
He also questioned why no action was being taken against chief minister Bhagwant Mann in the Punjab liquor scam and asked whether a fixed match had taken place on this issue. “SAD is not a political party alone, but a soch (thought). We are committed to fighting against repression and have done so both in the pre-Independence era against the British and later during the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi”, he said, adding:
“SAD has never compromised on its principles and never will.” He said 21 persons had died after consuming spurious liquor in the CM’s home district, but kingpins in the case were still at large.
Earlier at the seminar, leading intellectual Piara Lal Garg said it was time the Shiromani Akali Dal came forward and took up the issues of the state forcefully. Another intellectual, Gurmeet Singh Sidhu also emphasized on the same lines.
“It is unfortunate that today’s parties are playing vote bank politics and are pitting one community against another. These parties are not following the thoughts of martyr Bhagat Singh,” he said, addressing a seminar after paying tributes at the memorial here on martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. He asserted that his party was committed to the country, Punjab and communal harmony in the same manner as Bhagat Singh and condemned AAP for “misu- sing” martyr’s name and disregarding each and every principle dear to the latter.
He also questioned why no action was being taken against chief minister Bhagwant Mann in the Punjab liquor scam and asked whether a fixed match had taken place on this issue. “SAD is not a political party alone, but a soch (thought). We are committed to fighting against repression and have done so both in the pre-Independence era against the British and later during the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi”, he said, adding:
“SAD has never compromised on its principles and never will.” He said 21 persons had died after consuming spurious liquor in the CM’s home district, but kingpins in the case were still at large.
Earlier at the seminar, leading intellectual Piara Lal Garg said it was time the Shiromani Akali Dal came forward and took up the issues of the state forcefully. Another intellectual, Gurmeet Singh Sidhu also emphasized on the same lines.