Giving an ultimatum to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday demanded an unqualified apology within 10 days for making “malicious false” statements against the Badal family during a contentious debate held at PAU, Ludhiana, or face a criminal defamation suit.

Sukhbir accused the Chief Minister of indulging in character assassination during a one-sided monologue at PAU, Ludhiana.

The entire opposition had boycotted the event. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, during the “one-man debate”, had made allegations that former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had engaged in a quid pro quo by raising the height of the Bhakra Main Line canal in 1998 in exchange for the creation of an irrigation branch to deliver canal water to the Badal farm in Balasar village, Haryana.

Vehemently denying the accusation, Sukhbir clarified that the Balasar branch was established on February 12, 1964, well before the alleged exchange. The Balasar branch was originally a part of the Bani branch, which, in turn, was a component of the Panjoana branch within the Bhakra canal system.

Moreover, Sukhbir challenged the Chief Minister to produce any letter written by the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to the Centre requesting the early construction of the SYL canal during his imprisonment in the Emergency era. He emphasized that the attempt to tarnish the image of a leader who resolutely fought during the Emergency would not be tolerated, and Bhagwant Mann would be held accountable for his malicious statements.

Sukhbir also refuted the Chief Minister's fraudulent claim regarding the cancellation of 62 bus permits owned by the Badal family during the debate. He clarified that the Supreme Court had nullified extensions granted to permits for all private and government buses, including those operated by Punjab Roadways and the PRTC.

Regarding allegations that the Badal family received land in Gurgaon for a hotel in exchange for agreeing to construct the SYL canal, Sukhbir declared this to be a blatant lie. He pointed out that the hotel site in Gurgaon was granted to the Badal family upon application in accordance with the state's industrial policy in 1989. In contrast, the SYL canal project was initiated with the in-principle approval of former Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh in 1976.

He also reminded Bhagwant Mann that while Devi Lal had approached the Supreme Court to demand the canal's construction in 1979, former Chief Minister Badal had concurrently challenged Section 78 of the Punjab Reorganization Act to obstruct the canal's construction. Badal had led the Kapoori Morcha to ensure that the canal was not built.

SAD writes to Guv; Urges him to Censure CM for misusing PAU to hold ‘political’ debate

SAD leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday urged Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to censure Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for misusing the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, to hold a “political debate” besides calling for an explanation from the Vice-Chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal and dismissing varsity’s Dean, Students Welfare, Dr Nirmal Jaura for moderating the event.

Majithia, in a letter to the Governor, asserted that the Governor, as PAU’s Chancellor as well as head of the Board of Management, should take corrective steps and instill confidence in Punjabis that the august varsity would only be used for academic research in the field of agriculture and that political interference in its internal affairs would not be tolerated at any cost.

“Accordingly the Chief Minister should be censured for misusing the PAU campus for political activities and advised not to do so in future. The Chief Minister should also be advised not to squander State funds – amounting to Rs 30 crore – on self-projection…An explanation should also be called from PAU vice-chancellor Dr Satbir Singh Gosal and he should be reprimanded for giving permission for this event. Dean, Student Welfare, (DSW) Dr Nirmal Jaura should be dismissed immediately for flouting the varsity rules,” he demanded.