After paying obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal launched a scathing attack on both the Central and Punjab governments. Speaking to reporters alongside his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, he criticized recent modifications to the MGNREGA scheme as detrimental to the poor.
MGNREGA Reforms Criticized
Sukhbir Badal described the Centre’s shift from a 100% centrally funded MGNREGA to a 60/40 funding split between Centre and states as “fatal” for vulnerable families. He argued that debt-burdened states like Punjab cannot bear the 40% share, leading to direct harm for laborers who rely on 100 days of guaranteed employment. Badal urged the Centre to withdraw these changes immediately, restore the original system, and called on all Punjab political parties to unite in opposition.
Allegations in Local Elections
Badal accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of deliberate foul play in block samiti and zila parishad elections, claiming nomination papers of nearly 1,100 SAD candidates were intentionally rejected. In several segments, all SAD nominees were disqualified to hand unopposed wins to the ruling party, he alleged, terming it a “murder of democracy” and questioning the need for elections if faith in democratic processes is absent.
Law and Order Concerns
Highlighting Punjab’s deteriorating security, Badal charged that goondaism, gangster rule, loot, and a drug mafia have spread unchecked under political pressure on police. He claimed drug peddlers enjoy political patronage, exacerbating the state’s challenges with corruption and anarchy. SAD remains committed to protecting Punjab’s poor, laborers, and farmers, prioritizing the state’s salvation over power grabs, Badal asserted, appealing to Punjabis to strengthen regional parties for a secure future.
