The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD will gherao the Punjab assembly on the opening day of the budget session next month to protest against the Congress government’s “ betrayal of the people of Punjab and the non-fulfillment of any of its poll promises, especially hitting farmers, farm labour and the poorer sections of society”. The party will also protest the stoppage of all social welfare benefits to the people by the present regime.The SAD will observe the 550th Parkash Utsav of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji as a global event “in full Khalsa splendor” with SAD and the SGPC fully pooling their resources for the purpose.Decisions to this effect were taken at a meeting of the Core Committee of the party here this evening.The meeting, presided over by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, came down heavily upon Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for reneging on each and every promise made to the people. The party said the CM had not only betrayed farmers to whom he had promised a complete loan waiver covering nationalized and cooperative banks as well as private money lenders, but he was persecuting the poor by denying them social welfare benefits including aata-daal, old age pension, shagun scheme and SC scholarship.The Core Committee said the party while agitating for the right of farmers and weaker sections, would force the Congress government to include farm labourers and dalits in the ambit of its proposed farm loan waiver.
In another major decision, the party announced that the SAD and the SGPC would commemorate the 550th anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji as a global event “in full Khalsa splendor.” Preparatory to the event, meetings of all Singh Sabhas and SAD units from all across the world would be held at Shri Harmandar Sahib to finales the schedule for commemorating the Parkash Purab, The meeting clarified that there was lack of communication on the part of the Punjab government in informing the SAD about the meeting called by it to discuss modalities for observing the Parkash Purab. It said the SAD would wholeheartedly participate in any future meeting on this issue if it was headed by Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.The Committee also announced that the SAD and the SGPC would honour Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his visit to Shri Darbar Sahab in Amritsar on February 21.The Committee passed a resolution condoling the sudden demise of senior party leader and former minister S Ajit Singh Kohar. The committee put on record the services rendered by S Kohar to the party as well as society at large. It also condoled the death of Sardarni Jaswinder Kaur Sekhon, wife of former minister S Janmeja Singh Sekhon.S. Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Jath. Tota Singh, S Gobind Singh Longowal, S. Charanjit Singh Atwal, S. Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, S. Sikander Singh Maluka, Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, S. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Bibi Jagir Kaur, S. Gulzar Singh Ranike, S. Bikram Singh Majithia, S. Surjit Singh Rakhra S. Hari Singh Zira, S. Avtar Singh Hit, and S. Baldev Singh Mann.