Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal slams Delhi L-G's NSA order on students
Synopsis
SAD president Sukhbir Badal's broadside against Delhi L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu's NSA order reframes the student examination-integrity protest as a civil liberties flashpoint — warning that jailing young test-takers under a security law risks turning a governance grievance into a political crisis.
Key Takeaways
SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday condemned Delhi L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu's decision to impose the NSA for preventive detention of up to three months .
Badal called protesting students 'our children and not terrorists' and demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.
He warned the Centre to reform national testing organisations, citing rigged exams that disadvantaged meritorious candidates.
Farmers in Sultanpur Lodhi told Badal that flood compensation from last year's damage had not been paid and no new flood protection works had been undertaken.
Badal accused CM Bhagwant Mann of running a 'goonda raj' and alleged a series of unresolved recruitment scams including the pharmacy officer scam.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday sharply condemned the decision by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) for preventive detention of up to three months in the national capital, calling it a disproportionate response to a peaceful student protest.
Badal's Appeal to the Lt Governor
Speaking to reporters while inspecting the Dhussi bandh in the Sultanpur Lodhi constituency, Badal said, 'This is no way to deal with a peaceful movement. Protesting students are our children and not terrorists. I appeal to the Lt Governor to withdraw this order immediately. Imposing the NSA is not the answer to the student protest. Showing empathy is. Let us win their hearts with love and shun confrontation.'
He warned that invoking the NSA against protesting students risked prolonged imprisonments and could permanently derail their academic careers. Badal also urged the Centre to focus on structural reforms in national testing organisations, noting that students were already aggrieved over allegations that merit was being bypassed in favour of unscrupulous candidates.
Flood Protection Failures in Punjab
Shifting to state-level concerns, Badal expressed shock at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's inaction on flood preparedness. He said concrete had not been poured at weak spots in embankments despite large-scale flood destruction the previous year, and that road infrastructure in several constituencies remained in poor condition.
Farmers who met the SAD president during his visit told him that not only had flood protection works been skipped this year, but compensation for losses suffered in last year's floods had still not been disbursed. Badal assured them that the party would step in to support flood protection efforts and supply diesel and wire gabions wherever required.
Allegations Against CM Bhagwant Mann
Badal came down heavily on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the reported treatment of women sanitation workers in Barnala, calling it evidence of a 'goonda raj.' He alleged that the AAP government had previously used similar force against farmers, teachers, and contractual government employees.
He further alleged that Chief Minister Mann was executing a 'conspiracy' — attributed to Arvind Kejriwal — to recruit outsiders into Punjab government jobs, and that the state had witnessed a series of paper leaks and recruitment scams, including the latest alleged pharmacy officer scam.
Recruitment Scams and Accountability Gap
Badal alleged that irregularities in recruitment for Excise Inspectors and Naib Tehsildars had gone unpunished, with no official held accountable. He also took aim at Manish Sisodia for claiming during the ongoing student protest that there had been no paper leaks in Punjab under AAP's watch, calling the assertion contradicted by the evidence on the ground.
With the student protest over examination integrity showing no signs of abating, and flood season intensifying pressure on Punjab's rural communities, the political temperature in the state is set to rise further in the coming weeks.
Point of View
Making it harder, not easier, to resolve. Punjab's dual crisis — student unrest and unaddressed flood damage — also exposes the AAP government to accountability questions it has not yet answered publicly.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sukhbir Badal condemn the Delhi L-G's NSA order?
Badal condemned the order because it invokes the National Security Act — a preventive detention law — against students peacefully protesting examination irregularities, which he called a disproportionate and counterproductive response. He urged Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to withdraw the order immediately.
What is the NSA and why is its use against students controversial?
The National Security Act (NSA) allows authorities to detain individuals for up to 12 months without trial on grounds of national security. Its application against student protesters is controversial because critics argue it conflates civic dissent with a security threat, risking prolonged detention without judicial remedy.
What did Badal say about Punjab's flood protection situation?
Badal said he was shocked that the AAP government had not undertaken flood protection works despite large-scale destruction in the previous year's floods. Farmers in Sultanpur Lodhi also told him that compensation for last year's flood losses had not been paid.
What recruitment scams did Badal allege against the AAP government in Punjab?
Badal alleged a string of unresolved scams including irregularities in recruitment for Excise Inspectors, Naib Tehsildars, and a pharmacy officer scam, with no official held accountable in any of these cases.
What is the broader context of the student protest referenced in Badal's remarks?
The protest relates to allegations that national-level competitive examinations were rigged, allowing undeserving candidates to be selected over meritorious students. The issue gained national attention following controversies around centralised testing bodies and has drawn student demonstrations across several states.
