Shiromani Akali Dal asks Punjab to ensure paddy procurement or face protest

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday threatened to launch an agitation if the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab failed to ensure procurement and lifting of paddy from mandis within 72 hours.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party's core committee which was presided over by SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar.

The committee said that farmers were "suffering" due to the "utter failure" of the government in coordinating with the Centre in either procuring paddy arriving in the 'mandis' or getting it lifted.

It said that such a state of affairs was unprecedented in the history of the state and asked chief minister Bhagwant Mann to wake up from his "slumber" and ensure farmers did not suffer or else resign from his chair.

Punjab farmers on Sunday held state-wide protests against the alleged tardy procurement of paddy in the state.

Akali leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the core committee also expressed concern at the manner in which the AAP government's conduct in the ongoing Panchayat elections.

There were many instances of opposition candidates not being allowed to file nomination papers by being turned away, having their papers snatched, or even facign violence just so they could be kept away from offices of returning officers, he alleged.

Elections to 13,229 gram panchayats will be held on October 15.

Meanwhile, Cheema said an 11-member committee led by party working president Bhundar will approach the Akal Takht Jathedar and apprise him of important developments vis-a-vis the complaint filed against the SAD president and other leaders before the Takht.

"The SAD president and the concerned leaders have already submitted their clarifications with regard to complaints filed against them to the Takht with utmost humility. Now we are in the process of seeking an appointment with the Jathedar in this regard," Dr Cheema said.

On August 30, the Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had declared SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal 'tankhaiya' -- guilty of religious misconduct -- for the "mistakes" committed by his party and party's government from 2007 to 2017.

Later, Badal appeared before the Takht and sought an apology for these "mistakes".

Rebel Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, had appeared before the jathedar on July 1 and sought forgiveness for "four mistakes" committed during the party's government.