Poor response mars SAD-BJP rally

A SAD-BJP rally in Moga on Thursday drew a lukewarm response. The gathering had been planned to oppose the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal project, but it actually resembled an election campaign in which SAD recounted its development works.

In his half-hour speech, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal spared only a few minutes on the SYL project before showering praise on Parkash Singh Badal for carrying out development work during his five stints as chief minister and on the alliance government for ushering in welfare schemes.

Both Badal and Sukhbir said there was hardly any probability of the Congress forming the next government in Punjab. Sukhbir said that if the Congress is voted to power, the “train of development which was on track and had picked up pace would be derailed”. The duo were equally critical of the AAP, and called it a party of “topiwale (frauds)”.

The Akali leaders had to resort to repetitive announcements to elicit a response from the unenthused crowd, majority of whom had arrived at the venue in school buses. Very few private buses were seen. A large section of the audience did not even enter the venue of the rally.

Badal and Sukhbir, though, suggested that it was a massive gathering of lakhs. “I have not seen this sea of humanity in 70 years (of my political career),” said Badal, who turned 89 on Thursday.

As for the BJP presence at the rally, state party chief Vijay Sampla and Health Minister Surjit Jayani attended the event.