3 min readApr 7, 2026 10:21 AM IST
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday alleged that electricity theft was carried out at a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rally held at Muktsar and said legal action will follow soon. However, the PSPCL authorities at Muktsar said that they were still doing inquiry.
Addressing a public gathering at the Patiala Grain Market, Mann took potshots at SAD and its president, Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“Their Punjab Bachao rally took place in Muktsar on Monday. It was found that they were taking the electricity supply for the rally directly from the transformer by theft. We will lodge an FIR for this violation, and action will be taken as per law,” Mann said.
Comparing arrangements at his own event with those at the SAD rally, Mann added, “Look at our rally…there are generators for power needed for this rally…and look at those who believe in theft…In his speeches, also Sukhbir Badal says that people used to drive motorcycles without papers in his regime…this is what he thinks governance is. Such people who don’t even know the basics are busy holding ‘Punjab Bachao’ rallies. We have already saved Punjab from them”.
Contacted, PSPCL officials said that based on a video “which we saw on social media, our teams went to the rally venue on Malaut Road along with police officers, but we didn’t find any violation. However, we are doing an inquiry into the incident”.
Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi, former SAD MLA from Muktsar, while talking to The Indian Express, said, “CM has Badal phobia. He keeps making false allegations. At the rally, we had our own power backup arrangement. We don’t even know when the PSPCL team came to the venue”.
In a statement, Badal said, “We don’t want to react to a petty issue raised by the CM”.
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, Mann called on people to boycott SAD leaders, saying those responsible for “beadbi” (sacrilege) of a religious text and “atrocities” against people must be held accountable.
The CM was referring to the 2015 sacrilege incidents and police firing on anti-sacrilege protesters in Faridkot. “These (Akalis) people bruised the psyche of every common man by allowing the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib during their regime. These traitors can never be forgiven as they are responsible for the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and their hands are soaked with the blood of innocent masses,” Mann said.
“These people have always mixed politics and religion for their vested interests and have always undermined the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Jathedars are appointed and ousted as per the whims and fancies of the Akali leadership, delivering a severe blow to their position,” alleged Mann.
He further said that Badal is “begging people” to give his party one chance to serve the state. He has probably forgotten that his party was given a chance five times, the CM said.
Story continues below this ad
Targeting the previous SAD and Congress governments, Mann said they acted like termites that ruined Punjab after independence, causing it to lag in development. “They damaged the state economically, socially, politically and even religiously, but Punjab is now back on the right track due to the steps taken by our government,” he said.
