SADBHAVNA RALLIES: Facing public ire, SAD leaders scramble for show of strength

SADBHAVNA RALLIES

Facing public ire, SAD leaders scramble for show of strength

Notwithstanding Friday’s attack on Maluka and threats of disruption, SAD is firm on going ahead with its programme

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 20

Even as SAD chief-cum-Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has announced to hold the “biggest” political rally in the state — Sadbhavna Rally — in Bathinda on November 23, party leaders are facing public wrath in villages.

SAD leaders visiting villages to mobilise people for this first major political event of the party after sacrilege incidents in the state are being shown black flags by public. For instance, black flags were shown yesterday to Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy Dhillon’ at Buttar Shrin village here. Dimpy is SAD’s Gidderbaha constituency in charge and an aide of Sukhbir.

Earlier, black flags were shown to Rural Development Minister Sikander Singh Maluka at Kothaguru village in Bathinda on November 17, where he had gone to mobilise masses for the rally.

Some Congress activists were arrested yesterday at Nawanshahr when they tried to show black flags to Sukhbir there. Notably, Sukhbir had gone to the Doaba region to hold a party workers’ meeting regarding Sadbhavna Rally in Jalandhar on December 4.

On November 17, when he visited Sarawan village in Faridkot district, some people were arrested before they could show him black flags. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mantar Brar, who is Kotkapura MLA, too has been once shown black flags by some protesters in his home district Faridkot.

Four cabinet ministers of SAD — Sikander Singh Maluka, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Surjit Singh Rakhra and Daljit Singh Cheema — faced the ire of Sikhs during the state-level function to observe the death anniversary of Sant Fateh Singh at Badiala village in Bathinda district on October 30.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder witnessed farmers’ anger at a Kisan Mela in Bathinda.

Now, workers from 5 districts to attend rally 

Though initially Sukhbir had announced that party workers from three districts — Bathinda, Mansa and Faridkot — would attend the rally on November 23, now workers from Muktsar and Fazilka districts too are being told to come in large numbers to make it a successful event. SAD leaders, including Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy Barkandi’, Parambans Singh ‘Bunty Romana’ and Satinderjit Singh ‘Manta’, held meetings with party workers in these two districts

1,000 vehicles in Sukhbir’s cavalcade 

It is learnt that Sukhbir will come to the rally venue with a cavalcade of nearly 1,000 cars, jeeps and motorcycles. These vehicles will accompany him from his residence at Badal village in Muktsar district

YAD, SOI activists to be on guard 

Keeping in view the protests against SAD leaders, not just the police but activists of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) and Student’s Organisation of India (SOI), too, have been told to keep an eye over suspicious elements in the rally

SAD arranging special T-shirts for workers 

The SAD is arranging special T-shirts with the party logo for the event. Besides, youth activists would be wearing a ribbon of the party colour on their forehead and turbans

Courtesy: The Tribune