Sukhbir Badal demands job reservations for Punjabis, vows to stop land sales to outsiders

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday led a massive dharna outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office, protesting against land acquisition by the Punjab Government.

He demanded job reservations for the people of the state and vowed to stop the sale of land to outsiders.

The protest witnessed participation from senior SAD leaders including Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Daljit Singh Cheema, and the party’s West Constituency by-election candidate Parupkar Singh Ghumman.

Addressing the gathering, Sukhbir Badal said, “Punjab is our home, but outsiders – referring to Arvind Kejriwal – are being allowed to loot Punjab and its people. It is our duty to save Punjab from such outsiders.”

Taking a dig at the AAP’s claim of having provided 40,000 government jobs to youth in Punjab, Badal alleged that over 50% of these jobs had been given to residents of other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, depriving local Punjabi youth of their rightful opportunities.

“If Punjabis are not allowed to secure government jobs in states like Himachal Pradesh, then Punjab should adopt the same policy and reserve jobs for Punjabis only,” Badal emphasised.

He stated that if the Shiromani Akali Dal returns to power in 2027, the party would not allow people from other states to buy land in Punjab. Drawing a parallel, he said, “If Punjabis cannot purchase land in Himachal Pradesh, then why should Punjab allow outsiders to buy land here?”

The SAD chief also claimed that the real CM of Punjab is not Bhagwant Mann, but Arvind Kejriwal. “Even inauguration plaques prominently display Kejriwal’s name, while Mann’s name appears in small letters,” he mocked.