Khatkar Kalan, March 23
On Wednesday, Manpreet Badal could well be having the last laugh. Having set the cat among the pigeons by declaring his intention to unveil his new political party at a rally here on Martyrs’ Day, he sat back and watched SAD, BJP and the Congress scramble to get their act together.

It was possibly a panic reaction or an ‘over reaction’ as the ruling coalition went overboard to stage a ‘show of strength’ and claim Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s legacy. But at the end of the day, they would be wondering if they really derived any political benefit.

The rally, ironically, exposed the chinks in the coalition when dozens of part-time teachers infiltrated the audience, raised slogans, took out black flags and interrupted the speech of the Punjab CM. A dozen of them were physically dragged away by the police but not before they were brutally manhandled by ‘unidentified’ people. All said and down, it was much sound and fury signifying nothing.