Chandigarh, March 20: The Aam Aadmi Party has launched a sharp counteroffensive against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, accusing him of attempting to rewrite Punjab’s history to obscure his party’s involvement in sacrilege cases. AAP Punjab State General Secretary and Media Incharge Baltej Pannu stated on Friday that the most controversial incidents of ‘beadbi’ in the state’s history trace back to Akali Dal administrations, dismissing Badal’s recent allegations against the current government as a desperate attempt to regain political relevance.
Pannu affirmed that the people of Punjab have not forgotten the 1986 Nakodar incident, where the desecration of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the subsequent martyrdom of four youths occurred during an Akali regime. He questioned Badal’s claims by noting that the Aam Aadmi Party did not even exist during that period. The AAP leader further maintained that the 2015 theft of the sacred saroop from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and the later desecration in October also took place while the Badal family held power, asserting that the then-government patronized the culprits rather than delivering justice.
The AAP spokesperson also highlighted the legal standing of the SAD chief, declaring that Sukhbir Singh Badal is currently out on bail in the Kotkapura firing case. Pannu stated that the reports from the Justice Ranjit Singh and Justice Zora Singh Commissions clearly identify the figures behind the police brutality against peaceful protesters at Kotkapura and the killings at Behbal Kalan. He maintained that the presence of high-ranking officials like Sumedh Saini and Umranangal on bail alongside Badal serves as testimony to the “dark deeds” of the 2007–2017 Akali rule.
Concluding his remarks, Pannu asserted that the decade of Akali governance remains a dark chapter characterized by drugs, corruption, and sacrilege. He declared that the public will not be misled by baseless allegations intended to shield the SAD from its historical responsibilities. The AAP leader affirmed that the current administration remains committed to the rule of law, unlike previous regimes that he claimed pushed Punjab into an era of instability.
