Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has strongly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing it of imposing an “undeclared emergency” in the state. He made the statement after being stopped by police while he was on his way to Mohali to visit Amb Sahib Gurdwara and show support for fellow party leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
Majithia, who was arrested in a case involving over ₹540 crore of alleged drug money, is currently under investigation by the Vigilance Bureau. His seven-day police custody ended on Wednesday, and he was presented in a Mohali court amid tight security.
Before reaching Mohali, Sukhbir Badal was detained and taken to a police station. He said that many SAD workers and leaders who were also heading to Mohali were either stopped at checkpoints or put under house arrest. According to the party, workers from Amritsar, Beas, and other areas were not allowed to leave their homes.
Badal accused the AAP government of trying to crush democratic rights and said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is “rattled” by the support SAD leaders are receiving. In a social media post, he said, “Our party and workers won’t be scared by such actions. Akalis have faced repression before and have always stood strong with the people of Punjab.”
In Ludhiana, senior SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal shared that police tried to keep him under house arrest, but he managed to leave unnoticed in a taxi to reach Mohali. He said this kind of treatment shows how the AAP government is suppressing individual freedom.
Other SAD leaders and supporters also reported being blocked or followed by police as they attempted to reach the court where Majithia’s hearing was taking place. One of them, Jagbir Singh Sokhi, said they were ready to face arrest but would not stop supporting their leader.
The case against Majithia dates back to 2021, when he was booked under the NDPS Act based on a 2018 anti-drug task force report. He had earlier spent five months in Patiala jail before getting bail in August 2022.
Now, with fresh allegations of money laundering, the AAP government has come under fire from SAD, which claims the case is politically motivated.
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