Chandigarh, February 1: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has raised concerns regarding the presence of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders at a wedding function associated with a gangster’s family in Amritsar. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson and Ajnala MLA, noted on Saturday that these interactions occur even as the current administration works to dismantle organized crime and drug networks across the state.
During a press conference in Chandigarh, Dhaliwal presented photographs which he mentioned showed SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, and other prominent Akali leaders at the wedding of Amritpal Singh Bath’s sister. The MLA said these images suggest a contradiction between the Akali Dal’s public statements and their private associations.
“On one hand Sukhbir Badal talks about ending gangsters, on the other he attends weddings of gangsters,” Dhaliwal directly said during the briefing. He further noted that such participation indicates the Akali Dal may be attempting to build relationships that undermine the state’s efforts to maintain law and order.
The AAP spokesperson alleged that the Akali leadership is looking to regain political ground by nurturing these ties. He noted that Punjab has previously suffered through periods of instability and suggested that current political maneuvers by the opposition could impact the state’s peaceful atmosphere.
Dhaliwal maintained that the Punjab government remains committed to its goal of clearing the state of the drug mafia and gangster culture. He said that regardless of the associations kept by opposition figures, the government’s promise to eliminate these elements from Punjab will be fulfilled.
