Protest outside Punjab CM's house: SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal detained

Shiromani Akali Dal has demanded that land being acquired in the state for national highways be done on the market rate along with award of displacement compensation to farmers.

Punjab Police, on June 15, detained Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal during a protest against the state government outside Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's residence in Siswan.

Security forces resorted to using water cannons as a huge mass of protests gathered amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Badal said the state government has engaged in various scams from vaccinations to scholarships and farmer lands being acquired.

"If a storm rises, Captain won't be able to stop it, even if he uses all his force. There is a scam in vaccination, there is a scam in Fateh Kit, there is a scam in scheduled castes' scholarship, farmers' land is being acquired," Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said before getting detained.

Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders and workers hold a protest against the state govt outside the residence of CM Captain Amarinder Singh at Siswan pic.twitter.com/H32pOzJIPb

— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2021

Earlier on June 14, Punjab's main opposition party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also held a protest outside the residence of the chief minister over alleged misappropriation of post-matric scholarship funds.

Several AAP leaders and workers, led by party MLA and leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, raised slogans against the government and demanded dismissal of cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot along with the release of pending amounts under the post-matric scholarship for scheduled castes.

They also demanded release of pending amounts under the post-matric scholarship for the scheduled caste.

Meanwhile, SAD announced that it would hold a 'dharna' at CM Singh's official residence on June 15 to demand an immediate dismissal of Health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu besides institution of a CBI probe into the alleged vaccine and "Fateh" kit scandals.

A Fateh kit contains a pulse oximeter, a thermometer, face masks, a steamer, sanitisers, vitamin C and zinc tablets and some other medicines for COVID-19 patients.

The SAD has also demanded that land being acquired in the state for national highways be done on the market rate along with award of displacement compensation to farmers.

Cheema said the "vaccine scam" as well as "Fateh kit scam" had shaken the conscience of Punjabis who were shocked that an elected government and its members were profiting from their misery during the time of pandemic.

Cheema said Badal had also exposed the Fateh kit scam under which medical kits which were to be supplied to COVID-19 patients were jacked up repeatedly from Rs 800 to Rs 1,400 per kit by inviting one tender after another despite the fact the first tender was valid for a six-month period.