Giving a ticket to a gangster’s family in the name of a “Dharmi Fauji” is Akali Dal’s old method of ‘managing things’: Baltej Pannu

Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly rejected the Akali Dal’s claims of its “return” in the Tarn Taran by-election. AAP has said that Sukhbir Singh Badal still wants to do politics by promoting gangsterism, following the same mindset of the 2007–17 era. Addressing a press conference here today, AAP senior leader Baltej Pannu alleged that Akali Dal misled people in the name of a “Dharmi Fauji” and, in reality, gave a ticket to the family of a gangster and attempted to secure votes through fear and intimidation.

Baltej Pannu said that Sukhbir Badal’s IT wing is propagating the claim that the Akali Dal is making a comeback, which is completely false. Taking a jibe, he said, “This is just like how, in old times, mothers would wrap the bitter ‘Kunain’ tablet in jaggery. They said the ticket was given to the family of a ‘Dharmi Fauji’, but in reality, it was given to a gangster’s family member. No one even saw who this Dharami Fauji was, so that the truth wouldn’t come out.”

Directly attacking Sukhbir Badal, Pannu said, “Sukhbir Badal thinks it is still 2007 to 2017, when he used to give shelter to gangsters and do politics by promoting gangsterism, but the people of Punjab are now aware.” Reminding the public of the previous Akali rule, he said, “This was the same era when an ASI in Amritsar was killed while trying to protect his daughter’s honour, a police officer’s leg was broken in Ludhiana, a girl was kidnapped from Faridkot, and the Nabha jail break, all outcomes of the same gangsterism.” He said that the word ‘gangster’ itself became common in Punjab only after 2007.

Pannu said that the Aam Aadmi Party government neither protects gangsterism nor will the people of Punjab allow it to rise again. He alleged that Akali Dal now wants to implement this same “Tarn Taran gangster model” across Punjab. He claimed that the Akali candidate got an early lead in the first two rounds only from those villages where that gangster group had forcefully got its sarpanches elected.

The AAP leader levelled a serious allegation saying that people were openly threatened. “At the ‘bahkos’ (farmhouses) in our area, people were threatened, ‘Remember what happened to Sonu Cheema? If you don’t vote for us, you will meet the same fate.’” He said that even a rival (AAP) candidate was threatened with murder, and a case has been officially registered in this matter.

Baltej Pannu appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to form an SIT to investigate the entire matter. He said, “Phone records should be obtained to find out who all received these threats, because phone records never disappear. Those who received threats should also come forward, the government will provide them full security.”

He also took a dig at BJP President Sunil Jakhar, saying, “Jakhar Sahab was talking today about the rise of gangsterism in Punjab, but yesterday he was sitting on a sofa laughing and joking with Sukhbir Badal at a wedding. I wonder if he asked Sukhbir Badal where he found this gangster-family candidate? Will Akali Dal contest the 2027 elections in the same way, or will it finally change its ways?