Latest news with #RakharPunya
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
AAP govt will transform roads leading to all religious sites: Harbhajan Singh ETO
Days after the Sikh clergy at Akal Takht directed the state government to address the condition of the roads leading to historic gurdwaras associated with Guru Teg Bahadur in view of his 350th martyrdom day, cabinet minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Saturday announced that roads leading to all religious sites will be transformed. Cabinet minister Harbhajan Singh ETO (centre) with AAP leaders at the party's event in Baba Bakala, Amritsar. (HT) While addressing a political conference organised by the ruling AAP on the occasion of Rakhar Punya, a Sikh festival commemorating the discovery of Guru Teg Bahadur as the ninth Sikh Guru by Baba Makhan Shah Lubana, the minister said the AAP government had fulfilled almost all guarantees that were promised to the people before the elections. Except him, no big face of the ruling AAP turned up at the event, despite chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal being in Tarn Taran district. Referring to the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur, ETO invited the 'sangat' to participate in these programmes, and announced that before September 5, the memorial of Bhai Jaita at Anandpur Sahib, built at a cost of around ₹20 crore, will be inaugurated to formally commence these events. The minister declared that the infrastructure of villages and towns blessed by Guru Teg Bahadur's presence will be transformed. He added that in just three and a half years, the Bhagwant Mann government had accomplished as much work as previous governments could not in 75 years. He highlighted the provision of 600 units of free electricity to every household, major improvements in the power sector, uninterrupted eight-hour daytime electricity supply to farmers and the purchase of a thermal plant from the private sector by the Punjab government. Referring to the 'corrupt coal purchasing practices' of previous governments for their personal gain, he said, 'We have stopped that racket and begun using our own coal mines, which has brought significant economic benefits to the power department. Today, the power department is earning profits of over ₹2,500 crore.' He further announced that soon the chief minister will provide medical insurance worth ₹10 lakh to every household, which will permanently remove the burden of medicine expenses from common people's pockets. Speaking about the war against drugs, the minister said so far, ministers, MLAs, constituency in-charges and other party leaders had visited over 7,000 villages and towns to spread the message against drugs.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
If voted to power, SAD won't allow outsiders to buy land in Punjab: Sukhbir
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday announced that outsiders will be banned from purchasing land in Punjab if the party returned to power in the state in the 2027 elections. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and party leaders at Baba Bakala conclave. (HT) Addressing a political conference on the occasion of Rakhar Punya here, Badal said, 'Once we form the government, we will also ensure that government jobs are given to Punjabis only and that all new companies recruit as much as 80% Punjabi employees.' He further assured that SAD will return all land acquired by the AAP back to the farmers on the same pattern through which it returned land acquired for the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to the farmers in 2016. 'We are very clear. We can sacrifice our life, but will not allow even one inch of land to be forcibly acquired from farmers. It is for this reason that we are launching the 'Jameen Bachao - Punjab Bachao Morcha' from September 1, which will witness an indefinite march everyday from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali to the nearby 'Sheesh Mahal' where AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has taken up residence,' he said. Terror convict Gurdeep Singh Khera and party's candidate from Tarn Taran for the upcoming bypoll Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa also addressed the conference.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjabis don't accept divisive, anti-national ideology: Warring
In the bastion of Khalistan sympathiser and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday lashed out at Khalistan supporters, stating that divisive and anti-national ideology was not acceptable to Punjabis. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring addressing the party's conference at Baba Bakala, Amritsar. (HT) While addressing a political conference organised by the Congress on the occasion of Rakhar Punya at Baba Bakala, he strongly opposed those trying to raise the slogan of Khalistan in Punjab. 'We must fight against the Centre for Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat, but only while remaining a part of our own country, not by separating from it,' he said, while emphasising that Punjab was the strongest pillar of India. He also lashed out at the AAP government, accusing it of turning Punjab into a 'gangland', and pushing the state into complete chaos and lawlessness: 'The economy has completely collapsed, with the debt rising to nearly ₹5.25 lakh crore. At the same time, law and order has reached its worst state, and gangsters are ruling the roost.' He added that in the last three and a half years of AAP's governance, there had been no new investment in the state. In fact, many businesses had left Punjab due to security concerns. He said a climate of fear prevailed in the state, and people felt scared and anxious. During his speech, Warring reiterated his party's strong opposition to the AAP government's land pooling policy. He said on the one hand, it was a scheme to loot farmers' land and on the other hand, it had the potential to destroy the state's agricultural economy. He made it clear that the Congress party will never allow this policy to be implemented. Former deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, former MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa, Sukhwinder Danny, Bhagwant Pal Singh Sachar and other Congress leaders were also present at the conference.
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Sukhbir Badal vows to return land to farmers if SAD wins 2027 polls
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said that if his party forms the government in Punjab in 2027, it will return all the land acquired by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to farmers, as it did with the land acquired for the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal in 2016. Badal's comments came days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the implementation of the land pooling policy, which aimed at acquiring over 65,000 acres of land across 21 cities and towns for urban and industrial development. In 2016, the SAD-BJP government passed Punjab Assembly Satluj-Yamuna Link Canal Land (Transfer of Property Rights) Bill, 2016 to return 3,928 acres of the land acquired for the project. Addressing a political conference on the occasion of Rakhar Punya (Raksha Bandhan), Badal said, 'We can sacrifice our life but will not allow even one inch of land to be forcibly acquired from the farmers. From September 1, we will launch the 'Jameen Bachao — Punjab Bachao Morcha', an indefinite march from Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib in Mohali to the new Sheesh Mahal where AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal is residing'. He alleged that AAP was acquiring 65,000 acres of fertile land 'for peanuts' and giving it to 'builders from Delhi' as part of a Rs 30,000-crore deal. He claimed the land registry and change-of-use processes had been stopped, creating problems for farmers. Badal announced that a future SAD government would 'ban outsiders from purchasing land in Punjab' and ensure that '80 per cent of jobs in new companies go to Punjabis.' He also pledged to restore the Atta-Daal and Shagun schemes and increase old-age pensions. Referring to past electoral setbacks, Badal alleged that the AAP and Congress had 'together defamed' the SAD and claimed that the AAP was linked to the 2016 Malerkotla sacrilege incident. He condemned the registration of what he called 'false cases' against the party's senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia. 'Now the police are harassing Akali workers in Majha to implicate him in more cases,' he said. Urging people to 'strengthen the SAD' to protect Punjab's interests, Badal accused the Congress and the AAP of harming the state and its institutions.
