Dera Bassi (Punjab), May 5 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said experimenting with AAP and Congress has “cost Punjab dearly”, with all its core issues, including federal autonomy, being thrown on the back burner.
Badal urged the people of Punjab to put their faith in the SAD to ensure the state’s voice reaches Parliament.
The SAD president made the remarks during a tour of the Dera Bassi assembly segment while campaigning in favour of the party’s Patiala candidate N K Sharma as part of his party’s ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’.
“Our experiments have cost us dearly. Earlier the Congress misled you with false promises of a loan waiver, jobs for every household and Rs 2,500 per month to the unemployed youth but did nothing.
“Then the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) went a step further and promised Rs 1,000 per month to women, besides promising to eradicate the menace of drugs. This promise was also false and AAP stands thoroughly exposed as it has bankrupted the state by taking on a loan of Rs 1 lakh crore,” Badal said.
Asserting that the SAD alone could fulfil the aspirations of the state, Badal said, “We are committed to federal autonomy to ensure the rights of Punjab are safeguarded.” Similarly, we feel the sentiments of the Sikh community should also be respected,” he said.
“This was not being done and that is why we chose to stand by our principles and contest this election alone. We will continue on this path but will never compromise with our core ideology,” Badal said.
Stating that Punjab was for everyone, Badal said “divisive politics propagated by Delhi-based parties which are based on religion and casteism will never succeed in the state”.
“Punjabis are secular by nature and follow the principle of ‘sarbat da bhala’ propounded by our Guru Sahiban. I am confident they will repose faith in their own regional party SAD and shun Delhi-based parties”, he said.
Badal said only SAD would be able to raise the voice of Punjab in Parliament as MPs of Delhi-based parties have kept quiet on crucial issues of Punjab “since they take directions from their heads for whom Punjab is of no consequence.” “For the SAD, Punjab and Punjab alone is important. We will raise your voice in Parliament and ensure it is heard,” Badal added. PTI CHS SKY SKY
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