Badal family used the Panth as a mask to grow personal businesses; people of Tarn Taran will not be misled: Harchand Singh Barsat
Tarn Taran/Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): AAP Punjab General Secretary and Chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, Harchand Singh Barsat today said that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has always used the Panth as a mask to further its own political and personal interests. “The Akali Dal is not a Panthic party. It has only exploited religious sentiments for personal gain and to mislead people in the name of the Panth,” Barsat said while campaigning for the Tarn Taran Assembly by-election.
He said the Shiromani Akali Dal is nothing more than a family-run outfit where no one outside the Badal family holds any significance. “The Badal family has always prioritized its personal business interests over the welfare of the people. They have misused the sacred name of the Panth to expand their business empire,” Barsat remarked.
Barsat alleged that Sukhbir Singh Badal repeatedly abused power during his rule and focused only on expanding his personal empire instead of serving the people. “When in power, Sukhbir Badal only grew his private businesses while leaving the public to suffer. Instead of working for Punjab’s welfare, he sold state-owned assets, including tourism hotels, and built private palaces and hotels using state power,” he said.
He added that Sukhbir Badal inflicted heavy losses on public institutions to benefit his own ventures. “He deliberately weakened the state transport department to promote his family’s private transport business. At one point, Punjab’s roads were dominated entirely by buses belonging to the Badal family. But now, people have recognized their true face, which is why they were thrown out of power,” Barsat stated.
Contrasting the Akalis’ self-serving rule with the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government, Barsat said, “The Mann government is fully committed to people’s welfare and Punjab’s development. In the last three and a half years, AAP has implemented landmark initiatives, providing 600 units of free electricity, canal water to farmlands, transparent government jobs to youth without bribes or recommendations, and free bus travel for women.”
He further added that the Mann government is waging an intense war against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, encouraging youth towards sports through tournaments and building new playgrounds. The government is also actively repairing and upgrading rural link roads to improve connectivity and infrastructure.
Barsat expressed confidence that on November 11, in Tarn Taran by-election, the people will give a befitting reply to the Akali Dal and ensure a resounding victory for AAP candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu.