Badal seeks Modi's intervention on deporting Sikh NRI
Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Oct, 2021 10:51 AM
Chandigarh, Oct 26 (IANS) Reacting strongly to the IGI airport authorities sending Darshan Singh Dhaliwal back to the US after denying him entry to India, five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "intervene personally and effectively" to get the order vacated.
Badal also requested the PM to personally invite Dhaliwal as a "goodwill gesture which will send a great positive signal to NRIs".
Dhaliwal was sent back from the Indira Gandhi International airport on October 23-24 night with the authorities saying that this was being done as a punishment for organizing a 'langar' or community kitchen for agitating farmers on Delhi borders.
Calling it as an affront to the "sacred practice of 'langar' started by the great Guru Sahiban", Badal also urged Modi to take stern action against the erring officials who "brought a bad name to the country with their action".
Badal said organising or sponsoring a sacred socio-religious work such as 'langar' has always been regarded as one of the highest and noblest duties for every devout follower of Sikhism.
"Doing so for the country's 'annadata' (bread winners) is a noble task that needs to be emulated rather than penalized."
Calling the on-going agitation of farmers "a national movement", Badal said there was nothing wrong or illegal in helping those taking part in this civilized, peaceful, democratic movement.
The former Punjab CM also spelt an agenda for agriculture, which, includes revocation of three black laws, taking stakeholders on board before any legislation affecting them, setting up a panel with farmers and farm experts to advise the government on agriculture policies and enlarging of the list of crops for ensured marketing with MSP.
Sonia Gandhi on Monday approved several committees ahead of the Assembly polls in Goa. Girish Chodankar has been retained as the state president and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will continue as the Congress legislative party leader while Alexio Sequeira is the Working state President.
After Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan has plunged into a big humanitarian crisis. Pakistan is perceived as having played a major role in bringing the Taliban back to power. As evacuation of foreign nationals winds down, a US missile defence system intercepted rockets fired towards the Kabul international airport.
Adityanath visited the families of those who lost their members and assured them of help. The Chief Minister also visited the 100-bed district hospital at Firozabad where children showing symptoms of the disease are being treated.
The Punjab Chief Minister reminded Khattar and his deputy Dushyant Chautala that the farmers who were protesting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting in Karnal when the police baton charged them belonged to Haryana and not Punjab.
A video had gone viral of the SDM shouting out instructions to policemen to use force to stop the protesting farmers. Khattar had told a press conference that the officer's "choice of words was not correct" but said, "if any action has to be taken (against the officer), it would first have to be assessed by the district administration."
Speaking at a party function in Amritsar city, Sidhu said "if he is allowed to work according to his own policy of hope and faith, he will ensure Congress rule in the state for 20 years".
