Ludhiana: Withdraw land pooling plan or face agitation Sukhbir warns AAP
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday launched an attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, warning it to immediately withdraw the controversial notification to acquire 24,000 acres of land around Ludhiana or face a state-wide agitation.
Leading a protest outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office under the banner of 'Jang Punjab Bachaun Di', Badal addressed a large gathering of SAD workers and farmers. He vowed that 'not even an inch' of fertile farmland would be allowed to be acquired.
Accusing the AAP government of planning a land grab under the guise of development, Badal alleged that the scheme was designed to generate revenue by displacing small farmers. 'CLU (Change of Land Use) certificates are being sold at ₹1 crore per acre to exempt influential plots. This is nothing but a scam,' he said.
Badal further promised that if SAD returns to power in 2027, it will enforce policies that protect Punjabi interests, including reserving all government jobs for local residents and banning land purchases by outsiders. 'Punjab is for Punjabis only,' he said. Farmer leader Sukhpal Singh, present at the protest, expressed gratitude to the SAD for backing farmers. He said the proposed land pooling scheme would trap landowners in long-term financial uncertainty, as the region lacks necessary infrastructure for development.
SAD youth leader Jaskaran Singh Ayali Kalan also criticised the policy, calling it coercive. 'The notification clearly allows the government to acquire land from those unwilling to join the pooling scheme. AAP's claim that the scheme is voluntary is misleading,' he said.
Veteran leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Ranjit Singh Dhillon urged Punjabis to stand united against what they called a 'land grab.' Dhillon likened the current scenario to the 'Ludhiana City Scam' and vowed a prolonged agitation if the scheme isn't scrapped.
Meanwhile, cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond dismissed Badal's allegations, accusing the SAD chief of spreading misinformation. Sond claimed the land pooling scheme is voluntary and accused Badal of having ties to illegal land deals during his tenure.
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