Post-Lakhimpur Kheri incident: Repeal three farm laws immediately, SAD tells PM

Addressing the media after an emergency meeting of the party’s core committee here, SAD president Sukhbir Badal said, “PM should immediately withdraw these black laws, else who knows how many more lives will be lost? A total of 700 farmers have already died, but Centre did not budge from its stand.”

“The core committee expressed shock that no concrete action had been initiated against those responsible for the brutal murder of innocent farmers at Lakhimpur. It also demanded a judicial probe into the entire incident including inflammatory speeches rendered by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Misra. It also condemned the Uttar Pradesh government for stopping a SAD delegation led by Prem Singh Chandumajra from proceeding towards Lakhimpur Kheri,” a spokesperson of SAD stated after the meeting.

The core committee also mourned the loss of four farmer lives at Lakhimpur Kheri by holding a two-minute silence as a mark of respect and remembrance.

The core committee also condemned the AAP government in Delhi for “interfering” in the internal affairs of the Sikh community. It noted that “the AAP government was preventing the constitution of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) on one ground or another despite the fact that the SAD had won an absolute majority”.

Sukhbir said it was shocking “how a flimsy ground was prepared” to deny the co-option of Manjinder Singh Sirsa to the DSGMC as a nominee of the Shiromani Committee. “Sirsa’s nomination was correct in all aspects and it was also certified that he was conversant with Punjabi language but the latter excuse was used to reject his nomination,” he added. He said similarly in case of co-option of members by lottery system from among the Singh Sabhas of Delhi, the Director of Gurdwara Affairs had not co-opted the presidents of the Singh Sabhas as per norms”.

He alleged that seven to eight members of the SAD who had won the DSGMC elections had been nominated as accused in false cases to intimidate them.

Sukhbir said the SAD would not tolerate this direct interference in the religious affairs of the Sikh community under any circumstances.

Congress leader and former chairman of Milkfed Captain Harminder Singh joins SAD

Senior Congressman and former Milkfed chairman Captain Harminder Singh on Tuesday joined the SAD. Welcoming him to the party fold, Sukhbir announced Captain Harminder, who also served as Jalandhar district rural president of Congress as the SAD nominee from Sultanpur Lodhi.

Sukhbir said Capt Harminder had emerged as the consensus candidate of the SAD in Sultanpur Lodhi with the entire rank and file of the party reposing faith in him. He also praised the work done by former finance minister Upinderjit Kaur who has been representing the party in Sultanpur Lodhi. He said, “the veteran leader had informed him six months back that she would not be contesting the 2022 elections due to which the party had now decided to field Capt Harminder Singh from the seat”. Capt Harminder said he was honoured that the SAD and its president Sukhbir Badal had reposed faith in him. “I assure the party that it is an honour to contest the elections from the ‘nagri’ of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and am confident I will win the forthcoming elections with a record margin,” he added. He said that he had resigned from the Congress as well as the post of Milkfed chairman due to the open division in the party and the fact that the ordinary person was suffering due to intense wrangling for the top post in the Punjab Congress.