Chandigarh/Amritsar, February 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) while addressing a press conference in Amritsar. Dhaliwal questioned the recent social media post and public presence of senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia on the retirement of former IPS officer Paramraj Singh Umranangal.
Dhaliwal said it is deeply unfortunate that leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) are openly celebrating and standing by officers under whose watch some of the most painful chapters in Punjab’s recent history unfolded.
He reminded that it was during the Akali Dal-BJP regime that sacrilege incidents of Guru Granth Sahib took place across Punjab, shaking the conscience of the Sikh community worldwide. Peaceful members of the Sangat, who were protesting and demanding justice, were met with bullets.
He said that officers such as Paramraj Singh Umranangal and former DGP Sumedh Saini held key positions during that period, and instead of ensuring justice and accountability, the state witnessed repression and firing on innocent devotees. “Even during the Mughal rule or the British Empire, no one dared to insult the Angs of Guru Sahib the way it happened under the Akali Dal’s rule,” Dhaliwal stated.
Raising another serious concern, Dhaliwal questioned the controversial pardon granted to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief by a Jathedar, and said that instead of taking responsibility for the damage caused to Sikh sentiments, the Akali Dal shielded those involved. He said the party has consistently acted in ways that hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community and then attempted to cover up its actions for political convenience.
Dhaliwal further added that on one hand, the Akali Dal is inducting families of gangsters into the party and even giving them party tickets; on the other hand, it is publicly celebrating and aligning with individuals associated with atrocities against the Sikh Sangat. “They attend functions of gangster families, dance at their celebrations, go to parties of controversial officers, and at the same time pretend to speak for Panthic values,” he said.
Slamming Bikram Singh Majithia, Dhaliwal said that describing Paramraj Singh Umranangal’s service as “unparalleled” is nothing short of a cruel joke on the Sikh Sangat. He said that at a time when the wounds of sacrilege incidents and police firing on peaceful protesters are still fresh in the minds of the people, such statements expose the insensitivity and arrogance of the Akali leadership.
Dhaliwal asserted that glorifying officers linked to one of the most painful periods in Punjab’s recent history is an insult to the sentiments of the Sikh community and clearly reflects the selfish priorities of the Akali Dal Badal.
Warning the people of Punjab, Dhaliwal described the Akali Dal as a “jija-sala party” driven by personal interests rather than public welfare. He said the party is not even talking about bringing the Akali Dal back to power for the sake of Punjab; their sole agenda is to reinstall Sukhbir Singh Badal in power so that the same pattern of governance seen between 2007 and 2017 can continue.
Dhaliwal asserted, “Those who could not remain true to Guru Granth Sahib can never be true to Punjab or its people.” He added that the Akali Dal Badal is desperate and is attempting to disturb Punjab’s hard-earned peace for political revival.
“By promoting elements linked to crime and by glorifying those associated with painful incidents in Punjab’s history, they are once again trying to divide and destabilize the state,” he said.
Dhaliwal urged Punjabis to remain vigilant and not fall prey to what he termed as the Akali Dal’s “double standards and politics of convenience.” He said the people of Punjab have not forgotten the sacrilege incidents, the firing on innocent protesters, and the atmosphere of fear and patronage that prevailed during the Akali regime.
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