3 min readLudhianaFeb 20, 2026 12:59 PM IST
First published on: Feb 20, 2026 at 12:59 PM IST
Amid ongoing speculation about a possible SAD–BJP alliance, Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu once again targeted the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the spread of drugs, gangster culture and sacrilege in the state.
Bittu was speaking to mediapersons after paying floral tributes on the 104th birth anniversary of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, his grandfather, at the latter’s memorial in Sector 42, Chandigarh.
Targeting the Akali Dal, Bittu said that it was widely known “under whose rule drugs entered Punjab and under whose rule the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib took place”. He alleged that for electoral gains, certain leaders followed a religious sect head and facilitated sacrilege incidents. “Those who could not remain loyal to the Guru, how can they be loyal to the people.”
While acknowledging that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was working hard politically, Bittu reiterated that past actions of the party had eroded public trust.
Before interacting with the media, Bittu paid homage to Beant Singh and recalled his contribution to restoring peace and stability in Punjab during a turbulent period.
This is not the first time Bittu has launched an attack on the Akali Dal. On January 18, during a protest by the BJP against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Bittu had said that if there was any intention to allow the drug trade or gangster culture to return, only then could talks of a BJP–SAD alliance be considered.
Reacting to Bittu’s latest remarks, Arshdeep Singh Kler, spokesperson of SAD, dismissed the statements, saying that Bittu’s comments lacked consistency. “He himself does not remember what he said earlier and what he is saying now. He is a new BJP leader. When he was in the Congress, he used to attack BJP leaders relentlessly. How can he be taken seriously,” Kler said.
On the issue of sacrilege, Kler added that such incidents had taken place not only during the SAD–BJP alliance but also under Congress rule and even during the present AAP government. He pointed out that the BJP was an alliance partner of SAD at the time of the 2015 incidents.
Responding to Kler’s comments, Pritpal Singh Baliawal, spokesperson of the BJP in Punjab, said that while the BJP was part of the alliance in 2015, both the Chief Minister and Home Minister at that time belonged to SAD. He claimed BJP leaders had raised objections and spoken out against the sacrilege incidents even then.
Cong leaders give tribute event a miss
Notably, despite Beant Singh being a Congress chief minister, senior leaders of the Congress did not visit the memorial to pay tributes on his birth anniversary.
However, the party did post a tribute message on social media which said, ”We remember Beant Singh, former Chief Minister of Punjab and his resolute leadership in safeguarding peace and unity. His courage and commitment to Punjab’s development remain deeply inspiring”.
This is not the first time Bittu has launched an attack on the Akali Dal. (file) 
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