DW BUREAU / Rama Mandi

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced the next SAD government once formed would bring in legislation to award the death penalty to drug traffickers and gangsters to eradicate both scrouges once and for all.

The SAD President, who addressed an enthusiastic party rally here in scorching heat in support of party candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal, said "I guarantee you no drug trafficker or gangster will remain in Punjab once the SAD forms the government in 2027. We will not only introduce the death penalty for these heinous crimes but also confiscate all properties of such criminals. Fast track courts will also be established to try their cases in a time bound manner. He also announced that all Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators and functionaries who were giving patronage to drug traffickers and even taking monthlies from them would be taken to task.

The SAD president also announced that the SAD government would stop the trend of giving government jobs to outsiders. "We will also make it mandatory for the private sector to employ 75 per cent youth in their establishments".

Mr Sukhbir Badal also appealed to the people to support the SAD wholeheartedly. "This election is special in many ways. The time has come to give a clear message that that the Sikh Sangat will not tolerate any interference in its religious affairs. We must unite to oust the RSS from our religious institutions", he said while highlighting how the RSS had taken control of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and Sri Patna Sahib and how an RSS agent Baljit Singh Daduwal had been handed over control of the Haryana gurdwara committee.

Mr Badal also appealed to the people to remember June 1, 1984 when they set out to cast their votes on the same day next month. "This was the day when Indira Gandhi attacked Sri Darbar Sahib with tanks and mortars. Subsequently thousand of Sikhs were killed in the Congress sponsored massacres in 1984. The time has come to take 'hisab' from the Congress for these sins", he added. Speaking on the occasion, party candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal demanded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party make their position clear on the States river waters, the status of Chandigarh and the non-release of the Bandi Singhs. She said the AAP government was in the process of conducting a fake survey to pave the way for construction of the SYL canal by forcing Canal Patwari's to report the entire State was being covered by canal irrigation when this figure was only 23 per cent. She said similarly the Congress - AAP joint manifesto for Chandigarh had called for giving Statehood to Chandigarh on the Delhi pattern. Mrs Badal also asked the BJP to clear its about turn on the issue of the Bandi Singhs who its government had decided to release in 2019.
(editor@dailyworld.in)