Guruharsahai, August 16 – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) senior leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today disclosed she had written to union home minister Amit Shah to demand a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the two murderous attacks on party president Sukhbir Singh Badal even as she termed them as a deep rooted conspiracy involving both politicians and police officers.
The Bathinda MP, who addressed a mammoth rally here under the second phase of the party’s “Punjab Bachao” campaign, also displayed a post surgery picture of the severely injured arm of Sukhbir Badal as well as the one and a half foot long ‘kirch’ (dagger) used by the assailant to attack the latter. “More than 150 stitches have been placed to close the wound from both sides and also from the inside. This is because the dagger, which had a sharpened tip, went through the flesh”, she asserted.
Terming the entire episode at Nanded Sahib as well as the December 4, 2024 attack at Sri Darbar Sahib as part of a deep rooted conspiracy to eliminate Mr Badal and weaken the SAD, Mrs Badal said “this is why I have requested the union home minister to order a NIA probe into both incidents. This is because the ISI agent who attacked the SAD president at Sri Darbar Sahib was facilitated by a Superintendent of Police and was even able to secure bail in this heinous crime within a space of three months”.
She also disclosed that in the case of the attack in Nanded when Mr Badal was coming down the stairs of the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Devan ji, the assailant, in the garb of a Nihang Singh, first pretended to escort him down and then turned around to attack him. “Such a cowardly act cannot be done by a true Sikh in a place of worship and the entire episode needs to be probed by the NIA to get to the bottom of the attacks as well as the persons who are sponsoring them”.
Mrs Badal also asserted that such Guru Dokhi and anti-national elements wanted to destroy the hard won peace of Punjab but that these divisive acts would never cow down the SAD and that Mr Sukhbir Badal would rebound even stronger than before. She also disclosed that the SAD president was in “chardikala” after being discharged and that the sight of a “baaj’ circling his hospital window had further strengthened his resolve to serve the “Panth” to the best of his abilities.
Asserting that nothing could sway the SAD from its path, Mrs Badal asserted “our strength, our pillar, our everything is our Guru. So now, I am challenging these divisive forces – the more you try to attack us and finish us, the stronger we will emerge!”
Addressing the massive gathering amidst slogan shouting in favour of the SAD president, Mrs Badal appealed to Punjabis to resolve that Punjabis would rule over Punjab and that the treasury of the State would be used to fulfill their aspirations instead of filling the coffers of outsiders. Urging the people to resolve that government jobs should go to Punjabis only and not outsiders, Mr Badal said “we should also pledge to turn around the gangster rule prevailing under the Aam Aadmi Party government”. She also called for ensuring the rights of Punjab including those over its waters and its capital city of Chandigarh were not weakened.
Appealing to the people to also beware of those who were using the cloak of religion to spread the politics of hatred and cause divisions in society, Mrs Harsimrat Badal said “we need to follow the footsteps of S Prakash Singh Badal and make achieving peace and communal harmony the cornerstone of State policy. This policy led to speedy development and progress earlier and will again lead the State of darkness”. She also urged the people to support their own regional party while asserting that they had experienced betrayal at the hands of both those who took holy oaths on the Gutka Sahib (Congress) as well as the votaries of ‘badlav (AAP).
Party halka incharge and senior leader Vardev Singh Mann related how Rs 75 crore earmarked for a new sewerage system by the erstwhile SAD government had not been released by the subsequent Congress dispensation making the town a living hell. While calling for a new sewerage system, Mr Mann also demanded the ownership rights of farmers tilling land along the Sutlej River, which had been given to them by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal but later taken back, should be restored. He also called for establishing a Girls college and hospital in the constituency once the SAD was voted to power.
Senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Nardev Singh Mann, Joginder Singh Jindu, Sukhpal Nannu, Raj Kumar Dibbipura, Harpreet Singh Hero and SOI president Ranbir Singh Dhillon also addressed the gathering.
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