Thaindian News

Chandigarh, March 26 (IANS) Former Punjab minister Manpreet Singh Badal, a nephew of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Saturday resigned from the state assembly and said he will launch a new party Sunday at a rally in Khatkar Kalan, the village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh who was martyred in 1931.

“Responding to public’s unanimous call of a new political formation, I will begin with a fresh slate. Though technically, I can continue as a legislator of Shiromani Akali Dal and still launch a new party but it would be improper. A firm break with the past is required to create new links with the future. A future where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,” Manpreet said.

Manpreet Badal is a legislator from Gidderbaha constituency. He is a cousin of the ruling Akali Dal’s president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and left the government last October following differences over governance issues.

Manpreet Badal accused the Punjab government of harassing his supporters and trying to disturb the proposed rally.

“The Punjab government is using transport department and the state police to harass and intimidate my supporters. I have got complaints that officials from the transport department are openly intimidating transporters who are providing buses to enable our supporters to reach the rally venue,” he said.

“They are told to cancel our bookings and officials are imposing penalties on them on false grounds,” he charged.

Manpreet Badal had launched a campaign “Jago Punjab Yatra” in November last year to educate the people of Punjab about the misdeeds of the Akali Dal government.

“Police are also threatening our supporters. All farmers, who own the land in close proximity near the rally venue have been forcibly asked to operate their tube-wells continuously to ensure that there is standing water at the rally venue,” he said.

Manpreet Badal said he would run a membership drive for his party for the next two months and he intended to enroll around 1.5 million members.

The 48-year-old leader, who is known for keeping a low profile, is an honours graduate from Delhi’s St. Stephen’s College and studied law at a London college.

He left the government after his statements regarding Punjab’s Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) debt and his demand that the party do away with subsidies and freebies to take the state out of a debt trap.