Chandigarh, February 5: Sukhbir Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, offered to surrender at the office of DGP Gaurav Yadav on Thursday. However, he emphasized that his chartered accountants and staff should not be harassed by the Punjab Police under the orders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with the party’s core committee and DGP Gaurav Yadav, Badal alleged that the AAP government is attempting to implicate him in a case related to the 328 ‘Saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib.
He accused the government of conducting raids on his chartered accountants’ offices instead of investigating the case related to the ‘Saroops’. This includes the office of Ashwini and Associates, which handles his income tax filings, as well as the offices of his former accountants in Bathinda.
Badal stated, “All my balance sheets are being illegally seized, and my employees and their family members are being pressured to frame me in false cases. These actions have nothing to do with the investigation of the 328 ‘Saroops’ or the Shiromani Committee.”
He also mentioned that all his business establishments are publicly registered, and despite claims by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to demolish the Sukha Vilas Resort and halt operations of his bus company in Punjab, nothing can be done as everything is entirely legal.
Expressing that the Akali Dal will not tolerate such ‘hooliganism’, Badal said, “The core committee has taken this matter seriously, and if the government continues to harass the leadership of the Akali Dal, the party will decide to take to the streets. I also want to warn AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal not to misuse the Punjab Police.”
He alleged that the AAP government is intimidated by the rising popularity of the Akali Dal, which is why a false case has been registered against senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia to silence the voice of the public.
Badal remarked, “After receiving tremendous support in the Malwa region, which AAP considered its stronghold, the government has now decided to target me. This is why a special investigation team, acting like AAP’s private army, has been formed to frame Akali Dal leaders in false cases.”
