Balkaur Singh, father of Sidhu Moose Wala, to contest 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from Mansa
Chandigarh: Balkaur Singh, father of the late Punjabi singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala, has announced his intention to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from the Mansa constituency.
Speaking at the Congress-led 'Samvidhan Bachao Rally' in Mansa, Singh declared that his decision was motivated by an unyielding quest for justice for his son, who was shot dead on May 29, 2022. The announcement comes just ahead of the third anniversary of Moose Wala’s assassination, which remains a source of public outrage and controversy.
"My son was the pride of Punjab. But even after nearly three years, justice remains elusive," Singh told reporters. "I will contest from Mansa in 2027 to strengthen this fight from within the system."
Singh has squarely blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for the lack of progress in the investigation. He alleged that those responsible for his son's murder have been shielded by the administration and slammed the state government for the deteriorating law and order situation.
Particularly scathing in his remarks against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Singh questioned the failure to apprehend Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind behind Moose Wala’s killing. "Murders are happening in broad daylight. What kind of justice system is this?" he asked, referring to the increasing frequency of violent crimes in the state.
The Mansa constituency, already symbolically charged due to Moose Wala's 2022 electoral bid under the Congress banner, is now back in the political spotlight. Though Moose Wala lost the 2022 election from Mansa, his father’s candidature is being seen as both an emotional and strategic move by the Congress.
Congress Punjab President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring extended full support to Singh, calling the decision a “courageous step” that reflects a family’s deep-rooted desire for justice and reform.
Public reactions to Singh’s announcement have been mixed. While many on social media hailed his resolve, others accused him of politicizing his son's legacy. Singh and his wife, Charan Kaur, who recently welcomed a child through IVF, remain active in public life.
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MP cruise boat tragedy: Search ops expanded to trace four missing passengers
Jabalpur (PTI): Army divers and disaster response teams on Saturday expanded their search at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh to locate a man and three children still missing after the cruise boat tragedy that claimed nine lives two days ago, officials said.
With 28 of the 41 identified passengers onboard the ill-fated cruise boat rescued safely, police are preparing to register an FIR in connection with the accident that occurred at the reservoir in Jabalpur district on Thursday evening, they said.
The search radius has been expanded to 5 km in the backwaters of the Bargi Dam, located downstream of the Narmada River, area sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra told PTI.
Nine people drowned in the incident, while 28 were rescued, and efforts are ongoing to trace the missing persons, he said.
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According to the police, more than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, began the search operation at 5 am on Saturday to trace Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, his son Tamil (5), Vijay Soni (6) and Mayuram (5).
Mishra said that an inquest case has been registered and the post-mortem of nine deceased persons has been completed.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will soon register an FIR," he said.
Investigators have said that CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the ill-fated boat, and the names of 41 persons, who boarded the vessel, have been ascertained so far.
Collector Raghvendra Singh confirmed that a search is underway for four missing persons.
The rescue operation, being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers, was briefly affected around 9 am due to strong winds.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members after survivors alleged negligence and safety lapses, including failure to provide life jackets.
The government also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, sank during a sudden storm around 6 pm on Thursday, and the wreckage was retrieved from the dam water on Friday, after the rescuers confirmed that there were no more bodies inside.
Eyewitnesses have said that strong winds made the water choppy, prompting passengers to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the vessel towards the riverbank.
A survivor alleged negligence by the crew and described a last-minute scramble for life jackets.
