AAP using religion as shield to target Sukhbir Badal, alleges SAD
Chandigarh (PTI): The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of using religion as a shield to target its president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, and frame him in a false case as part of a political vendetta.
Addressing a press conference here, senior Akali leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundur, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema alleged that the AAP government started targeting the SAD leadership after failing politically.
They also alleged that the attack on Badal at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where he was serving a religious penance (‘seva’), in December 2024, was government-sponsored, which was followed by the harassment of income tax lawyers associated with the SAD chief in Ludhiana and Bathinda.
The SAD leaders said Badal will not be intimidated by such tactics and will continue to expose the AAP government's “anti-Punjab policies”.
They also claimed that attempts were being made to link the arrest of an accountant hired by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) with the issue of 328 missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib to target Badal, alleging that the main accused in the case was a former SGPC employee now associated with the AAP.
The SAD leaders also accused AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal of pursuing a personal vendetta against former SAD minister Bikram Singh Majithia after being forced to apologise to him over alleged baseless charges.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested Majithia on June 25 last year in a disproportionate assets case that allegedly involved the accumulation of Rs 540 crore of wealth.
The SAD leaders claimed that despite intelligence inputs suggesting a threat to Majithia from the Babbar Khalsa International, adequate security had not been ensured for the jailed leader.
Alleging a threat to his life, they demanded that Majithia be shifted from the Nabha jail to a designated secure prison, warning that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Kejriwal would be responsible if any harm came to him.
Cheema said a SAD delegation will soon seek an appointment with the Punjab governor (Gulab Chand Kataria) to apprise him of what he described as a conspiracy against the SAD leadership.
He also accused the AAP of targeting the SGPC, the Akal Takht Sahib and mediapersons critical of the state government.
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Karnataka bypolls: Over 60 per cent voter turnout in Bagalkot, Davanagere South till 5 pm
Bengaluru (PTI): Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in both Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, where bypolls were held on Thursday.
While the turnout in Bagalkot was 65.68 per cent, it was 63.04 per cent in Davanagere South.
While the ruling Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP aims to wrest them and deliver a setback to its rival, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
A total of over 2.59 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates are in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
