The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had largely been subdued since hitting a record low in the Punjab Assembly elections a year and a half ago. But, in the past few months the party has again picked up pace, conducting political affairs committee meetings at the constituency level alongside other meetings. In an interview, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal talks about, among other things, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Bhagwant Mann, India’s diplomatic row with Canada, the Sutlej-Yamuna Canal dispute with Haryana. Excerpts: Bhagwant Mann has accused his predecessors of looting the state. What is your response? I do not have to say anything. People are seeing how Punjab is currently being exploited to help (AAP convener) Arvind Kejriwal in other states. Nearly a thousand crores worth of taxpayer money is being spent on Kejriwal. Jet planes worth Rs 125 crore are being hired for Kejriwal with our money. Punjabis have been burdened with Rs 50,000 crore debt in just 18 months, it is the worst record in history. Drug, liquor, and mining mafia is rampant. Employees and teachers are being forced to commit suicide. This is Punjab’s darkest hour. On October 26, SAD general secretary Parambans Bunty Romana was arrested for allegedly posting a morphed photo on X to harm the CM's reputation… The party stands with Romana and condemns the political vendetta that has been unleashed. This is being done to deflect attention from the real issues of Punjabis. The SAD will not be intimidated by such cowardly acts. The party has already submitted a cyber crime complaint against Mann to the Mohali police for uploading several morphed and defamatory videos from his official social media handle. How do you rate the AAP government’s performance? Nakhidh (totally incompetent). There is no functioning government. They have destroyed Punjab. There is a diplomatic row going on between India and Canada, which has a huge diaspora Punjabi population. I think we should have a mature diplomatic resolution at the earliest. It is creating avoidable bad blood between two democratic countries. My main concern is the hardship that Punjabis, especially students, are facing because of the situation. What is your party’s stand on pro-Khalistani groups? We have always stood for peace, communal harmony, unity, and integrity of the nation. Sikhs do not need to prove their patriotism to anyone; we were crucial to the Independence struggle and contribute significantly to the military. What went wrong in the Assembly elections? The party organisation is in good shape despite the massive propaganda on the contrary. I admit that we were not able to counter the false and vicious propaganda against us. One is always learning. The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) polls are expected to happen soon. How is the party preparing for them? Anti-Sikh forces in powerful government positions as well as national parties have formed an unholy coalition. But the Khalsa Panth is ready to defeat them. What is your party's stand on the SYL Canal dispute? We have made supreme sacrifices for saving the water of Punjab. Haryana and Rajasthan have no right as our rivers do not flow through these states. We do not have a drop of water to spare. Badal sahib (SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal) restored the SYL land to farmers. What more do I need to say on our stand? The Congress government had earlier snatched Punjab waters and constructed the SYL Canal. And now Mann has told the Supreme Court that he is ready to build the SYL Canal. He has deceived the people of Punjab to oblige his boss in Delhi.
