Ahead 2014 lok Sabha polls, Punjab Revenue Minister and Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president Bikram Singh Majithia defended his “bad boys” by turning the spotlight on their “humane” side.
Coming to the rescue of his team of youth leaders, that has been facing criticism since past few months, Majithia assailed all those who dubbed the YAD as “team of goons”.
“The youth Akali workers are criticised for every wrong thing they have done, no matter how petty it is, but never praised for all the good works they do right from holding the largest blood donation camp, helping the handicapped girls, marrying off poor girls, among other things,” Majithia said while talking with The Pioneer.
“Painting the same canvas for all the youth Akali workers for mistakes of couple of them is not justified…bearing the brunt for the wrongdoing of others is not right…those who have done wrong are being dealt as per law and has faced action,” he said.
He pointed that YAD member Manpreet Singh Ayali, party’s sitting MlA from Dakha and SAD-BJP combine’s nominee from ludhiana parliamentary seat, was honoured with the President’s award, “but was not highlighted in the media as it do not make spicy news for them”.
“YAD has been active in many social activities. The party’s youth wing has been playing a positive role be it working for rehabilitation of people struck in natural disasters, helping handicapped or deserving students or even doing its best for social causes like leading the afforestation movement in Punjab,” he added.
Majithia said that the YAD workers have conducted the “largest” blood donation camp where more than 1,500 urban workers donated blood, surpassing the targeted 1,000 units. As a part of its campaign, the YAD had organised marriages of 51 girls from poor families of Majitha constituency, and gave away house hold items to the newly wed couples.
The party has also started a movement against social evils and the marriage of at least one girl from the poor families of each village will be solemnised under this campaign.
Besides, the youth wing is also making its contributions in different spheres including marriage of poor girls, campaigning against female foeticide and dowry, drug awareness, among others. The SAD’s youth wing is also highlighting its social side on its website.
In contrast, several youth Akali leaders have recently courted controversy for their alleged involvement in crime related incidents, including Majithia himself whose name has been surfaced during the investigations into the multi-crore drug scam.
Right from Youth Akali Dal (ludhiana) rural unit president Yadwinder Singh Yadu who had been accused in a murder case in Khanna in February, SAD Youth wing’s senior leader Manjinder Singh alias Bittu Aulakh was arrested in synthetic drug smuggling case and is presently behind bars.
Prior to that, Youth Akali leader Ranjit Singh Rana from Amritsar and Sunny Johar from ludhiana had brought disrepute to the party. While Rana was accused of brutally murdering Amritsar ASI Ravinderpal Singh in broad daylight, Johar was alleged to have assaulted a senior police officer.
YAD, especially Majithia, has all along been criticised by the Opposition parties for being the breeding ground of the criminals, and accused him and his brother-in-law, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal for providing them a safe haven.
Responding, Majithia asserted that those responsible and did wrong, were facing action and were dealt with as per law. “We also have a clause in our membership form that if I do anything wrong, I should be expelled from the party,” he added.
Pointing at induction of nothing less than seven lakh new members in YAD after recent membership drive, Majithia said that the youth wing had played a stellar role in 2012 Assembly elections and was instrumental in SAD-BJP victory.
Mobilising the party’s youth cadre ahead 2014 general elections, Majithia had a word of advice for them — not to push the party backwards — virtually indicating at the recent instances of involvement of party’s youth leaders in criminal activities. For campaigning, his one line direction to the party cadre — “Go out in the field and follow the mood”.
Stating that the anti-Congress wave is blowing across the country, all set to push them out, Majithia, in the recent YAD rally at party’s Chandigarh headquarters, maintained, “You don’t have to do much…the mood is such across that all that is needed is a little push…with this, the takdi (scale) becomes takdi (strong), and (Narendra) Modi will become the Prime Minister,” said Majithia.