Massive turnout for SAD rally in Mohali against Kejriwal’s ‘land grabbing scheme’

Thousands of farmers and landowners braved heavy downpours and traffic congestion on Monday to join the Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) protest rally in Mohali as part of the party’s state-wide agitation against what it called AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s “land grabbing scheme”.

The dharna covered the SAS Nagar (Mohali), Ropar, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts in the state. The next rally is scheduled to be held in Bathinda on August 4.

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The anti-land grab dharna, addressed by SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, drew endless streams of aggrieved people who filled the entire area in front of the GMADA headquarters. The overwhelming response to the SAD’s call for protest brought normal life in the town to a standstill, with local residents also joining in solidarity with farmers and other alleged victims of the government’s land acquisition drive.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Badal stated that the scale of land acquisition by the Delhi-based AAP leadership in Punjab was unprecedented and lacked any development rationale.

He highlighted that 2,000 acres acquired earlier for the Aerotropolis project in Mohali remain unused, while the government is now pushing to acquire another 3,535 acres for its extension.

Reiterating the SAD’s stance, Mr. Badal said, “We will not allow the government to grab even an inch of farmers’ land. I am ready to make any sacrifice, but we will never permit the government to take land without the prior consent of the farmers.”

He also criticized the state government for allegedly stripping farmers of their fundamental right to seek Change of Land Use (CLU), even for land not yet acquired but falling within targeted areas. “There is no precedent for such sweeping deprivation of farmers’ rights over their own land,” Mr. Badal said, adding Tehsildars have already issued orders banning CLU in these zones.

Contrasting this with the SAD-led government’s approach in the past, Mr. Badal emphasized that during the tenure of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, land acquisition policies were developed in consultation with farmers.

A committee, including local Sarpanches, helped determine the prevailing market rate, ensuring that farmers received up to 400 per cent of the land’s value. “Even after that, no land was acquired without the consent of farmers or landowners,” he added, noting that people still recall the humane approach of the late Badal in every government policy.

The SAD chief also revealed that he has been receiving numerous resolutions from affected landowners across the state, opposing the Kejriwal government’s alleged land acquisition policies.