Expressing solidarity with the Sikh brethren settled in Jammu-Kashmir, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that Member of Parliaments (MPs) from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) would raise the issue of plight of Sikhs in Valley with the Government of India (GoI). Interacting with the media persons on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in Adampur assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that it was unfortunate that Sikhs in Valley were facing hardships these days. He said that the state government was fully committed to help the Sikhs in this hour of crisis and every effort would be made to bail them out in this hour grief. Mr. Badal said that a delegation of the Akali MPs would soon call the Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh and top brass of the GoI to raise this issue with them.
The Chief Minister said that a delegation of Sikhs from valley would be visiting the state after Independence Day adding that the state government would hold parleys with them to resolve the issues faced by them. He said that the state government and Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) would leave no stone unturned to safeguard the interests of Sikh brethren in Jammu-Kashmir. Mr. Badal said that the state government was duty-bound to help any Sikh across the globe in such crisis.Replying to another query, the Chief Minister said that the state Police was probing the issue of attack on RSS leader Brigadier (Retd.) Jagdish Gagneja and the case would be solved very soon. He said that the culprits of this heinous crime would be soon behind the bars. Mr. Badal reiterated the commitment of state government to maintain law and order in the state at every cost.
Answering another query, the Chief Minister said that forces inimical to the development of state and prosperity of its people were hell bent upon disturbing the hard earned peace in the state. He said that such forces need to be given a befitting reply adding that no one would be allowed to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state.Earlier addressing the gathering during Sangat Darshan at village Talhan and Kapur, the Chief Minister said that neither Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nor Congress has any sympathy with the state or its people. He said that both these parties were against the interests of state and both have a single point agenda to plunder the wealth of state. Mr. Badal said that both these parties haven’t ever struggled for safeguarding the interests of state.Slamming the Congress party for its anti-Punjab stance, the Chief Minister said that the Congress was inimical to the state from day one as it denied Punjab of its legitimate territorial rights in terms of its Capital, share in river water besides attacking on Sri Durbar Sahib thereby hurting the religious sentiments of the Punjabis in general and Sikh community in particular. Likewise, he said that the Sikhs could never forgive the Congress for the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in which thousands of innocent Sikhs were brutally killed.
The Chief Minister further said that like the Congress party, AAP was also suffering from the anti-Punjab syndrome which has been exposed by the policies pursued by it in Delhi. Citing the examples, he said that AAP government in Delhi discontinued teaching of Punjabi language in schools, didn't observed a holiday on sacred Baisakhi festival, demolished the piau outside Gurdwara Sisganjh Sahib and above all have submitted an affidavit against the state in Apex court on SYL issue. Mr Badal said that disguised in robe of Aam Aadmi (common man), these people were working overtime against the interests of the state. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Pawan Kumar Teenu, Chairman District Planning Committee Mr. Gurcharan Singh Channi, his Joint Special Principal Secretary Mr. Kumar Amit, Deputy Commissioner Mr. KK Yadav and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mr. Harmohan Singh.