Latest news with #Punjabis'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema urges election commission to act against Manish Sisodia; demands AAP debarment in Punjab
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD ) leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema on Thursday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take strict cognisance of Manish Sisodia's 'highly provocative utterances' and seek the cancellation of his bail in the corruption case. He further demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) be debarred from contesting in Punjab 'to save the sensitive border state from a repeat of the dangerous past.' Cheema also pressed for strict and prompt legal action against Sisodia for allegedly inciting 'fraternal bloodshed' in Punjab. 'The Aam Aadmi Party's cat is finally out of the bag. The mask has fallen,' Cheema declared, alleging that AAP's 'deceptions, lies, false promises, and dirty tactics—like riots, violence, and money games—aimed at clinging to power in Punjab in 2027 have now been shamelessly and openly admitted by their top leader, Sisodia.' He further alleged that ever since AAP entered Punjab in 2014, the state witnessed incidents of sacrilege. 'With their own MLA convicted for the 2016 Malerkotla sacrilege, is there still any doubt in anyone's mind about who was behind those incidents?' Cheema asked. The SAD leader accused AAP of playing dangerous games by exploiting Punjabis' religious sensitivities and fuelling communal divisions for political gain. 'All this is now openly admitted. I call upon Punjabis to see through this dangerous game to set brothers against brothers in Punjab, especially among Sikhs, just to divide and weaken the Shiromani Akali Dal,' Cheema added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes ,, messages , and quotes !
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal urges election commission to take action against Manish Sisodia
BATHINDA: Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal has criticised Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia for instructing party leaders to use any means necessary to win elections in 2027. He has urged the Election Commission to take strict action against Sisodia for encouraging his party members to resort to violence to secure electoral victories. In a social media post, Sukhbir wrote that the Aam Aadmi Party's true intentions are finally revealed. 'The mask has fallen. AAP's deceptions, lies, false promises, and dirty tactics—such as riots, violence, and money games—to cling to power in Punjab in 2027 have been shamelessly and openly admitted by their top leader, Manish Sisodia.' He noted that AAP entered Punjab in 2014, and incidents of sacrilege began in 2015. 'With their own MLA convicted for the 2016 Malerkotla sacrilege, is there still any doubt in anyone's mind about who was behind those incidents? Their schemes to exploit Punjabis' religious sensitivities and fuel communal divisions for power are now openly admitted.' Badal urged the public to recognise the threat posed by AAP. 'I call upon Punjabis to see through this dangerous game to set brothers against brothers in Punjab, especially among Sikhs, just to divide and weaken Akali Dal.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Home Decor Enthusiasts Love This Lamp topgadgetlife Shop Now Undo He also appealed to the Election Commission for immediate action. 'I urge the Election Commission of India to take strict cognisance of Sisodia's highly provocative utterances and seek to have his bail cancelled (in the corruption case). In view of this brazen admission, the Aam Aadmi Party must be debarred in Punjab to save this sensitive border state from a repeat of the dangerous past. I also urge strict and prompt legal action against him for inciting fraternal bloodshed in Punjab,' Sukhbir wrote Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes ,, messages , and quotes !
The Hindu
12-08-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Withdrawal of Punjab land pooling policy victory of farmers, labourers: BJP
The Punjab unit Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) working president Ashwani Sharma on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) said the withdrawal of the land pooling policy by the AAP government is a big victory for farmers and labourers, and that his party's protests put pressure on the state government. He said his party took a clear stand against this scheme from day one that it would not allow acquisition of even an inch of farmers' land. In the face of mounting pressure from farmer bodies and opposition parties, the Punjab government on Monday (August 11) withdrew its land pooling policy, which it had once termed "farmer-friendly". The Punjab BJP on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) held celebrations over the rolling back of the policy. "Punjab and Punjabiyat have won. It is a big victory of farmers and labourers," Mr. Sharma told reporters here. From day one, when the policy was released, the BJP took a clear stand that it would not let the AAP government acquire even an inch of land, he said. 'Punjab not run by Punjabis' He further accused AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain of "looting" Punjab. "Today, everybody knows Punjab is not run by Punjabis," he said, claiming that AAP leaders sitting in Delhi call the shots. "They (Delhi-based AAP leaders) brought the land pooling policy to loot Punjab," the BJP leader charged. "The BJP held protests at tehsil, block and district levels against the policy. We were to hold a protest, 'Zameen Bachao, Kisan Bachao' in Patiala on August 17. All these things put pressure on the state government," Sharma said. He demanded that the state government issue a notification about scrapping of the policy. He said, "Will Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann make a statement to ensure that not even a single inch of land of farmers will be acquired through any other way?" In a brief statement issued on Monday (August 11) evening, the principal secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development said, "The government hereby withdraws the land pooling policy dated May 14 and its subsequent amendments." "Consequently, all actions, like LOIs (letters of intent) issued, registration done, or any other action taken thereunder shall be reversed henceforth," the statement said. The decision came days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court last week ordered an interim stay on the implementation of the policy for four weeks. In its August 7 order, the court held that the policy appears to have been notified in haste and concerns, including social impact assessment and environmental impact assessment, should have been addressed before its notification.
Hindustan Times
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Mann inaugurates ₹17.21-crore road projects in Sangrur
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday laid the foundation stone for two road projects worth ₹17.21 crore during a ceremony marking the death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Dhadhogal. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann with people at Satauj village in Sangrur on Sunday. (HT Photo) Addressing the gathering, Mann described Punjab as a sacred land enriched by the legacy of Gurus, saints, martyrs, and poets, and lauded the resilience and hard work of Punjabis. Paying homage to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Dhadhogal, Mann recalled his sacrifices in the struggle against tyranny and injustice, highlighting his role in the Parja Mandal movement and close association with Sewa Singh Thikriwal. Mann noted that Dhadhogal was sentenced to 10 years during the Akali ,ovement and later played a key role in the Gurdwara Reform Movement. Mann reiterated his government's zero-tolerance policy towards drug traffickers, stating that influential 'jarnails' who patronised the trade—even using government vehicles—had been arrested for the first time. Highlighting irrigation achievements, the CM said that canal water coverage in Punjab's agricultural land had risen from 21% to 63% since he took office, with river water now reaching tail-end villages for the first time in history. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to conserving the state's water resources. The chief minister also stressed that the dreams of the martyrs remain unfulfilled due to lack of sincere efforts in the past, asserting that Punjabis' patriotism needs no validation from those in power. Mann announced that the state will organize historic events to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Later, during a visit to his native village Satauj, Mann interacted with residents and handed over a cheque of ₹1.76 crore to the panchayat for village development.
News18
17-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Sentimentalism Is Poor Substitute For Good Governance
Last Updated: Punjab govt will be better advised to—instead of spending time and energy on constitutional, legal minutiae—focus on fiscal prudence, economic policy framework, good governanc What does our political class do when they fail on all fronts? Well, it takes recourse to religion, hoping that it could be a useful opiate to numb the cognitive and cogitative faculties of people, thus diverting their attention from the real issues. So, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, having failed to improve the situation in the state, is trying to bring a piece of legislation to provide for stricter punishments against sacrilege, including the death penalty. 'We will be convening a special session of Vidhan Sabha on July 10 and 11 to bring a historic legislation for stricter punishment against those found guilty of sacrilege. The Centre should have done it. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is bringing it in Punjab as it understands the emotions of the people of the state," AAP spokesperson Neel Garg recently said. The spokesperson, indeed the state government, needs to understand that there are more important things for people than emotions—things like jobs, decent and healthy life, good human and physical environment. On every count, the AAP government in Punjab has failed. According to the latest report from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for October-December 2024, there was a steep rise in youth unemployment in urban Punjab. The rate in the 15-29 age group soared from 12.2 per cent in the July-September 2024 period to 14.9 per cent in October-December 2024. Female unemployment rates were higher than male. It is hardly surprising that the lack of opportunities at home fuels the young Punjabis' impulse to seek greener pastures in other countries. Many of them go to countries like the US and Canada by illegal means. When the US deported many Indians in a humiliating condition, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the youth to learn lessons from the recent mass deportation of illegal migrants. He beseeched them to work hard in their native state to make it a frontrunner in the country. That, however, will be predicated upon objective conditions in the state: that is, fiscal policies and a sound policy framework, which are the sine qua non of growth and development. But the state is spending 86 per cent of its new borrowing to repay old loans. But legacy debt is not the only burden the AAM regime is condemned to bear; it is doing its own bit—more than a bit actually—to augment the burden. It continued its tryst with freebies. Unsurprisingly, the economy continues to underperform, growing at a pace lower than the national average. Punjab's agriculture, once booming which made the state the breadbasket of the nation, is worse than languishing. Subsidy-oriented and MSP-based farm policies, both of the Centre and the state, have introduced distortions in the farm sectors and made it adopt anti-environment practices like stubble burning and drawing excessive groundwater. There is scarcely any spark in the industrial sector; the state rarely appears on the manufacturing map of India. And then there are drugs. Early this month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court highlighted the dangerous ramifications of the use of cocaine, heroin, etc. Justice Sumeet Goel warned that the crisis is no longer confined to personal addiction but has begun to threaten public order, national security, and the rule of law itself. 'It is the considered view of this Court that cases pertaining to the drug menace, especially those involving manufactured drugs, must be dealt with the utmost strictness and resolve," the High Court declared. This, four months after the Punjab government set a three-month deadline to declare the state free from drugs! Chief Minister Singh Mann called the time of that decision 'a historic moment as the state government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against drugs and is launching a crusade against this menace." Only if government decisions and announcements could transform the world into a paradise! Since the AAP government in Punjab has failed to save the state and its people from various menaces, it has now decided to shield religion and gods. Sacrilege has long been an emotionally-charged issue in Punjab. There was an incident of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015. This badly hurt the electoral prospects of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government; specifically, it hurt the Akali Dal; the party is yet to fully recover from it. Since then, successive governments have made repeated efforts to introduce laws mandating harsher penalties for sacrilege. CM Mann has emphasised that while the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) includes specific provisions related to religious places, it does not explicitly address Sikh scriptures. He believes that since this issue falls under the Concurrent List, the state has the jurisdiction to frame its own legislation on the matter. Mann and his government will be better advised to—instead of spending time and energy on constitutional and legal minutiae—focus on fiscal prudence, a sound economic policy framework, and good governance. The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 09, 2025, 19:30 IST News opinion Opinion | Sentimentalism Is Poor Substitute For Good Governance Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. 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