Shiromani Akali Dal protests Punjab govt land acquisition and alleged scam in Ludhiana.
Ghumman said the state govt's plan to acquire 24,311 acres of fertile farmland across 32 villages to develop an urban estate was a betrayal of the people. He alleged that the Bhagwant Mann administration was using the pretext of development to misappropriate an estimated ₹125 lakh crore and funnel Punjab's resources to Delhi. "This is not just about farmers — it's an attack on Punjab's economy, identity and the livelihood of common citizens," Ghumman told reporters on Tuesday.
He announced that his party will hold a large-scale protest outside the Ferozepur Road office of Glada (Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority) on Wednesday, where it will also submit a memorandum of demands to the authorities concerned. Ghumman criticised the govt's messaging, claiming it was misleading the public by portraying the land acquisition as beneficial to farmers.
He pointed to Punjab's economic decline, noting that the state, which once ranked second in the country in 2017, had now fallen to 26th position.
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He also accused the Mann govt of destabilising Punjab's agrarian foundations deliberately. "Agriculture is the backbone of our economy. Any move against farmers is a move against the state," he said.
Ghumman alleged that more than 15,000 new voter entries had been added post-publication of the final electoral roll, on the ruling party's instructions purportedly. He has warned the govt that if these entries are allowed in the election, the SAD will take the matter to court.
"The govt is using every tactic to ruin Punjab," Ghumman alleged. "But we will not tolerate it. Our protest will expose and dismantle the anti-Punjab agenda.
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'Hoarding row highlights campaign bias'
Ghumman further alleged that municipal officials were targeting his campaign hoardings in a "pick and choose" manner, while ignoring violations by rival parties. "AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora's hoardings are visible even outside the constituency, yet no action is taken.
Where is this funding coming from?" he asked, citing concerns over election expenditure limits.
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'150+ complaints, but no action'
The SAD leader claimed his party had submitted more than 150 complaints to the Election Commission regarding violations of the model code of conduct for the Ludhiana West bypoll, but the authority had taken no action. He claimed to have also raised objections against a joint press conference held by the deputy commissioner and AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora.
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