The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today got a massive shot in the arm when influential leader of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) S. Baldev Singh Khaira joined the SAD along with his supporters. Holding considerable influence in the doaba region, he was inducted in to the party by the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and SAD President S. Sukhbir Singh Badal by presenting a siropa. The SAD President said that S. Khehra would be accorded full respect in the party and his services would be utilized in making SAD more strong in the doaba region. He disclosed that many leaders of the opposition parties are vying to join SAD.
Interacting with media-persons on the occasion, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that it is the result of rapid development and constructive policies during the previous 9 years that the opposition is bereft of any issues and the parties of the likes of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are abhorred by the people. He further said that it is due to this very reason that these anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh parties are trying every dirty trick up their sleeve to capture power and to wilfully defame the Punjab and Punjabi’s.
Castigating AAP in the strongest terms, he said that it has committed a sacrilege by equating its youth manifesto with Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Attacking AAP further, S. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that neither does AAP respects Sikhs nor its leaders care for the sentiments of the Sikh community. Terming AAP as a bunch of psychologicaly ill people, he said that such people don’t care to measure their words before speaking.Appealing to the people of Punjab to beware of such a party, he gave a clarion call for total rout of congress and AAP in 2017 assembly polls. Regarding the incident of sacrilege of a religious scripture in Malerkotla, he said that culprits behind this heinous act would be caught soon and the truth would be before the people.Among those present on the occasion were Rural Development and Panchayat Minister,Punjab, S. Sikander Singh Maluka, Advisor to the Deputy Chief Minister, S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa and the President of the I.T. wing of Youth Akali Dal S. Parminder Singh Brar.