The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) staged a protest in Punjab on Friday, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of “misrule” and breaking its promises. The protest comes as the AAP government completes one year in power after winning 92 out of 117 seats in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal criticized the Bhagwant Mann government on several issues, including law and order, claiming that the current state of affairs in the state was leading to the flight of industry from Punjab and even making the common man feel unsafe. Badal alleged that the chief minister was busy with “vendetta politics” and accused him of forsaking Punjab while being preoccupied with elections in other states.
Badal also accused Mann of corruption, including the excise scam, which had reportedly led to a loss of Rs 500 crore to the state exchequer. Badal claimed that Mann had frittered away resources, with as much as Rs 750 crore earmarked for “advertising the AAP across the country, especially in those states which were going to the polls.” Badal alleged that this resulted in cuts to social welfare schemes like “atta-daal,” “shagun,” and old-age pensions.
Similar protests were also held in other parts of the state by the party. The allegations made by SAD and BSP against the AAP government have raised concerns about the state’s governance, with residents hoping for an improvement in the situation.
