No programme, preparations: AAP says Akali Dal backtracked on proposed July 19 march
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had quietly abandoned its proposed "Dharam Yudh Morcha", questioning why the
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday alleged that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had quietly abandoned its proposed "Dharam Yudh Morcha", questioning why the party failed to announce any programme or preparations just days before the agitation's scheduled launch on July 19. The announcement came amid the Akali Dal's efforts to revive its political base after electoral setbacks. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu said the announcement was never meant to culminate in a serious public movement and was instead aimed at provoking a political confrontation with the Bhagwant Mann government. Read Full Story He said SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced nearly a month ago that the party would launch the march after paying obeisance at Akal Takht on July 19.
However, with only two days remaining, neither a schedule nor a roadmap for the agitation has been made public, he said. Pannu claimed that the proposed agitation did not figure in the Akali Dal's recent core committee meeting, suggesting that the party had quietly backed away from its own call. Questioning the party's intent, Pannu asked why the Akali Dal had not revealed details of the programme, its strategy or leadership if it was serious about launching the agitation on the announced date. The AAP leader also targeted the SAD's past record, alleging that the party had repeatedly misled Punjabis and allowed the drug problem to grow during its 2007-17 tenure in power.
Referring to the 2015 sacrilege cases, Pannu said the major incidents, including the theft of a saroop of the Guru Granth Sahib, subsequent sacrilege incidents, police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, and destruction of evidence, took place during the SAD-BJP government's tenure. He further alleged that several Akali leaders, including former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, secured bail after chargesheets were filed in the cases. Citing observations made by a Faridkot court, Pannu also claimed that questions had been raised about Sukhbir Singh Badal's conduct during the sacrilege episode. Pannu additionally accused previous Akali governments of acting against the family of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra instead of ensuring justice.
The AAP leader alleged that the Badal family prioritised personal wealth over public welfare during its years in power, while reiterating that the Akali Dal had failed to explain the apparent disappearance of its much-publicised July 19 "Dharam Yudh Morcha". Ends (with PTI inputs)
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