Prevent national parties from making inroads in Punjab: Sukhbir Badal

Patiala: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Thursday asked people to "seal borders of Punjab with their votes" to prevent national parties from making inroads in the state.

He said all Delhi-based parties obeyed their high command as had been done by BJP leaders of Punjab who had arraigned themselves against the farmers’ protest.

In his remarks at a function here to induct state BJP executive member and social activist Sumrinder Singh Sira into the party, Badal said: "The BJP government in Haryana is not letting our farmers go to Delhi to voice your grievances and has even fired bullets at them while sealing roads to the national capital. I appeal to farmers to also seal the borders of Punjab for all Delhi-based parties with their votes."

He said the forthcoming parliamentary elections had become a fight between the forces of Delhi and Punjabis, all of whom had suffered at the hands of political parties. Badal also gave the example of how Punjab leaders of parties like the BJP had taken a stand against the Kisan Andolan two years back. He said now similarly, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab had also taken an anti-farmer stand and allowed the Haryana Police to fire bullets at farmers during the ongoing farmer agitation.

"This would have never happened if the SAD had been in power in the state," he said.