SAD may ask Barnala to quit as Governor
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 24
The Political Affairs Committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal will decide whether Mr Surjit Singh Barnala should quit as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh or not in wake of the change of guards at the Centre.

This was stated by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president of the party, while talking to mediapersons here today. He, however, said though the NDA government did not seek resignation from any of the Governor during its term in the past yet the SAD would take final decision on the issue in its forthcoming meeting.

Describing the Congress government as anti-people, anti-farmers and anti-SCs, Mr Badal said all party MLAs, MPs and senior leadership of the party would sit on a dharna at Matka Chowk, Chandigarh, on the first day of the Punjab Assembly Session.

He said the next course of action would be chalked out in the coming days. He said party would force the state government to restore ‘Shagun scheme’, free power supply to the farmers and all the benefits which were withdrawn by the Capt Amarinder Singh government.

In view of the forthcoming SGPC’s general elections, the SAD has decided to open a permanent office in Amritsar which would be instrumental in reviving its activities.

Reiterating the stand of the SAD, Mr Badal said his party would resort to total boycott of Mr Jagdish Tytler, newly inducted minister, and Mr Sajjan Kumar during the proceedings of Lok Sabha due to their alleged involvement in the anti-Sikh riots. He said the party would approach the international human rights commission against the induction of such Congress leaders.

While appreciating the appointment of Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister on the basis of his honesty and integrity, Mr Badal said it was perhaps for the first time that no minister from Punjab had been inducted in the central Cabinet.

Mr Badal said his party would be in touch with the Prime Minister for taking up the pending issues of Punjab.

Mr Badal alleged that false cases were being registered against Akalis, especially in Baba Bakala and Taran Taran areas. He said after coming to power the SAD-BJP government would constitute a commission to book the bureaucrats who indulged in excesses and high-handedness.

Mr Badal said his MPs would support any move by the central government to withdraw POTA.