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Time of India
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Akali Dal split spurs double tree plantation drive in Punjab
CHANDIGARH: A deepening divide within the Shiromani Akali Dal has led unexpectedly to a silver lining for Punjab's environment - a doubling down on tree plantation efforts. Both the official Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and a breakaway five-member dissident panel are pushing ahead with sapling plantation drives separately, honouring a directive from the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs. The Akal Takht had, on Dec 2, 2024, ordered the fractured factions of the over-century-old party to unite and restructure, while also mandating the planting of 1.25 lakh saplings between March 1 and April 30. While unity remains elusive, both camps have taken the green pledge seriously. And with each faction determined to fulfil the target independently, Punjab is set to witness a plantation drive that could more than double the original goal. On June 18, the dissident panel - comprising Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umedpur, Iqbal Singh Jhundan, and Satwant Kaur - launched its plantation campaign from Ludhiana. SAD, meanwhile, began its official drive on Friday, with senior leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Hira Singh Gabhria planting saplings at the party headquarters in Chandigarh. SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said: "We've instructed party workers to plant at least 1,100 saplings in each of Punjab's 117 assembly constituencies by the end of July. The delay was necessary. April's extreme heat posed a threat to sapling survival. Even the forest department recommended waiting for monsoon rains." Cheema added that most saplings will be sourced from the forest department, with species selected to suit local conditions. "We're encouraging planting in homes, schools, farms - anywhere they'll be nurtured and protected." The dissident faction echoed similar sentiments. "We treat this as a mission," said Wadala. "The Akal Takht's directive was not just symbolic. It's about restoring Punjab's green cover. We will plant a mix of shady, ornamental, heritage, and fruit trees." While the two groups may remain estranged politically, their competition has, at least for now, translated into cooperative climate action - one tree at a time. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: AAP, Congress, SAD oppose ‘One Nation One Election' proposal
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Opposition Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal registered strong objection to the 'One India One Election' proposal during a meeting with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), chaired by PP Choudhary, which is in Punjab. Addressing the media after attending the JPC meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and AAP state president Aman Arora termed the proposal a direct assault on the fundamental structure and spirit of the Constitution of India, framed by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Stating that the Punjab government and AAP have completely rejected the proposal, and would also give it in writing, Cheema said, 'The One Nation, One Election bill, proposed by the BJP, is a calculated move to eliminate regional parties that represent diverse cultures, languages, and regions, and serve as the backbone of Indian democracy.' He added that the bill, if passed, would render the state assemblies' tenure at the discretion of the Union government. Cheema said the bill will further encourage the misuse of Article 356 (President's Rule) and 360 (financial emergency) by the Union government. The state finance minister said the concept will ultimately backfire as it would enable the Centre to conduct state elections at its convenience a year or two after general elections. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also said the proposal goes against the basic concept of federalism guaranteed by the Constitution of India. Pointing out that Parliamentary and assembly elections are held on entirely different issues, Warring said, 'The idea of imposing simultaneous elections to the Parliament and the state assemblies will mean imposing dictatorship by default.' The regional and local issues, which get prominence during the assembly elections, will be ignored and crushed, the PPCC chief said, adding that regional and local aspirations will get muzzled down. SAD urges JPC to recommend dissolution of Article 356 The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), meanwhile, urged the JPC to recommend dissolution of Article 356, which allows for the imposition of President's Rule in the state, saying that it was the root cause for disruption of simultaneous elections in the country. The SAD delegation, led by Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Balwinder Singh Bhundar, briefed the JPC that in case Article 356 was not done away with, the election schedule would be disrupted again. The delegation also opposed the insertion of Article 82 A, Clause 5, which empowers the Election Commission of India (ECI) to defer elections of legislative assemblies. 'This can be misused against opposition parties anytime,' they asserted. Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Balwinder Singh Bhundar also demanded a solution to constant byelections. Stating that bypolls were turning out to be the root cause of election malpractices, they proposed that if a legislator expired, the party should be given the right to nominate another leader of the party for the remaining period. The SAD delegation also highlighted the federal concerns of the bill and said it would cause more harm than improvement.
India Gazette
08-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
SAD Daljit Singh Cheema lauds 'Operation Sindoor', backs Centre despite all-party meet snub
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India] May 8 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema praised the Indian Armed Forces for their precision strike under 'Operation Sindoor' and said he would attend an all-party meeting if invited. 'The precision strike carried out by our armed forces is commendable... Pakistan is not able to explain to the world how Indian action is wrong... Their army and government are still functioning and spreading misinformation... They are attacking our civilian areas near the border... I congratulate our forces on their professionalism... Had we been invited to the all-party meeting, we would have definitely attended, but we stand with our government and our forces,' he told ANI on Thursday. The Centre called the all-party meeting on Thursday at the Parliament Annexe building regarding Operation Sindoor. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the political parties on India's action on cross-border terrorism. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister JP Nadda, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi are among several other leaders who participated in the meeting. The meeting was convened to brief political leaders on the situation after Operation Sindoor--a series of precision missile strikes in the early hours on Wednesday, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. After India executed Operation Sindoor, in which nine terror sites deep inside Pakistan were destroyed, Pakistan attempted to engage several military targets on the night of May 7. The military targets were engaged in Northern and Western India, including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from several locations that prove the Pakistani attacks. (ANI)
