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Akali-BJP alliance plans a rally against Centre

CHANDIGARH: The newly elected president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, cautioned the UPA government at the Centre on Friday that by constantly ignoring the needs of Punjab, it was jeopardising the nation’s food security as well as its economic growth.

Talking to reporters after participating in the co-ordination committee meeting set up for smooth functioning of the ruling Akali-BJP alliance in the State, Mr. Badal said both the parties had decided to jointly organise a rally in Delhi on February 22 to protest against “discriminatory” policies of the Union Government.

He was accompanied at the press conference by the president of the State unit of the BJP, Rajinder Bhandari, and Akali Dal secretary D. S. Cheema, who is also Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister.

Both Mr. Badal and Mr. Bhandari said that through the rally the people of Punjab would seek a relief package which should include a loan waiver for the farmers and extension of incentives for the industries provided at present to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. “It would also serve a warning to the Congress party against interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikhs by attempting to create fissures in the community, which was evident from the efforts to set up a managing authority parallel to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC),” they added.

Mr. Badal said that despite repeated reminders, the Union Government had failed to respond to the problems in Punjab, where heavily indebted farmers were committing suicide despite having contributed up to 65 per cent of the Central foodgrain reserves.

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