Punjab AAP ministers in LS poll fray must resign first, demands Sukhbir Badal

Bathinda (Punjab): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Monday demanded all five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers in Punjab, earmarked to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, resign from their posts in the interest of public welfare.

The SAD President, who reached Bhucho Mandi and Bathinda Urban assembly constituencies as part of the party’s Bachao Yatra, said: "The state cannot afford paralysis in governance due to the absence of these ministers from their offices for the next two and a half months. Also as key ministries, including Agriculture, Health and Transport, are involved, the ministers Balbir Singh, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and Laljit Singh Bhullar should resign from their posts immediately."

About the ruling party's decision to field five ministers, he said: "AAP knows that it has lost political ground in the state after betraying each and every section of society. Now it has fallen back on fielding ministers in a desperate gambit to intimidate voters to secure their votes."

Asking Punjabis not to be daunted by such tactics, Badal said: "People should ask these ministers what they have done to better the lot of the common man in the last two years."

He said all ministers had failed in their duty, citing how the Agriculture Minister had failed to ensure compensation for damaged crops to farmers, and similarly, the Health Minister was party to the destruction of the rural health infrastructure by removing doctors and staff from the centres.

About the Punjab Bachao Yatra, Badal thanked Punjabis for turning up for it in huge numbers.

Stating that SAD represented the aspirations of Punjabis and had always worked to fulfil them, he said: "Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held Sangat Darshan programmes at your doorsteps to ensure your grievances were resolved on the spot. (MP) Harsimrat Kaur has done yeoman service in the area and brought the prestigious AIIMS institute to Bathinda besides a Central University in the area. You have witnessed how Bathinda and the entire parliamentary constituency were transformed into a model constituency during SAD tenure with world-class roads, bridges and other infrastructure coming up in the constituency."