Sukhbir forced to cut short speech as Lambi crowd cheers for singer

Not here to hear speech: Audience

• As soon as Sukhbir started his speech at a cultural event in Lambi village, folk singer Labh Heera too came on the stage
• Seeing the latter, some people in the audience started saying they had come there to see the performance of singers and not to listen to a speech
• Sukhbir tried to pacify them saying that he would conclude his speech in just two minutes, but the audience did not relent

Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal addresses the gathering at Lambi village in Muktsar district on Monday night. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 5

SAD chief-cum-Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had to face embarrassment last night when people, who had come to enjoy a cultural programme at Lambi village, interrupted him as soon as he started his speech and raised slogans demanding a performance by folk singer Labh Heera instead.

As a result, Sukhbir had to pause and even curtail his speech. The Deputy CM had gone to the 9th Sabhyacharak Mela, organised by the Malwa Sahit Sabhyachar Society and Shaheed Baba Jiwan Singh Samaj Bhalai Sabha, as the chief guest.

As soon as he started delivering his speech, Labh Heera too came to the stage and some people in the audience started saying they had come there to see the performance of singers and not to listen to a speech.

Sukhbir then tried to pacify them saying that he would conclude his speech in just two minutes, but the audience did not relent.

Sensing the gravity of situation, some SAD leaders standing beside Sukhbir on the stage appealed to the public to calm down and only then he restarted his speech, saying, “The villages falling in Lambi assembly segment will witness an overall development in the next six months. We will soon organise a cultural programme at Badal village inviting singers to entertain you.”

When asked, Dr Gursewak Singh Lambi, president, Malwa Sahit Sabhyachar Society, said, “Sukhbir had come on our request. Before delivering his speech, he said it would be concluded within two minutes. At the same time, Labh Heera came on the stage to set his musical instruments. On seeing him, some people started demanding his performance. However, Sukhbir delivered his short speech and enjoyed the programme for about 45 minutes.”

Other singers who were part of the event were Sikander Saleem and Anmol Gagan Mann. The event organisers claimed nearly 4,000 people attended the programme.

Courtesy: The Tribune