Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Badal on Sunday labelled the Waris Punjab De organisation a 'virus' deliberately introduced into Punjab to fracture Sikh unity and erode the SAD's political base. Speaking at a rally in Ghanaur town as part of the party's ongoing 'Punjab Bachao' campaign, Badal urged Punjabis to consolidate under the Akali Dal banner to restore communal harmony and revive the state's stalled development agenda.

The 'Virus' Charge

Drawing a sharp analogy, Badal declared: 'Just like the Covid-19 virus threatened the destruction of the world; Waris Punjab De virus is programmed to create infighting in the Sikh community and weaken SAD.' He alleged that members of the organisation had themselves publicly admitted — from the stage at Baba Bakala on the occasion of Rakhar Puniya — that their primary objective was not governance or public welfare but the elimination of SAD and the Badal family as a political force.

AAP Links and Credibility Questions

Badal sought to discredit Waris Punjab De by drawing a direct line between the outfit and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He alleged that the same individuals now associated with Waris Punjab De had previously appeared on AAP platforms five years ago, and pointed to what he described as a telling sign of coordination: Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reportedly deploying PRTC buses to ferry attendees to the Rakhar Puniya rally. 'These are the same persons who used to be on AAP stages five years back,' Badal said.

Amritpal Singh and the Bandi Singh Issue

Turning to Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, Badal alleged that Singh's family had historically backed the Indian National Congress (Congress) and had even campaigned against Paramjit Kaur Khalra's candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He argued that the organisation's focus on a 'morcha' to secure Amritpal's release — rather than championing the cause of Bandi Singhs (long-incarcerated Sikh prisoners) — exposed it as a factional enterprise rather than a genuine Sikh cause. In contrast, Badal noted that the Akali Dal had not staged protests even when former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal spent 16 years in jail.

Broadside Against the AAP Government

Badal also launched a sustained attack on the AAP administration's economic record, alleging that Punjab's debt had ballooned from ₹1.5 lakh crore to ₹4.5 lakh crore under its watch. He claimed over ₹6,000 crore had been spent on what he called 'fake advertisements,' with Delhi-based contractors allegedly benefiting from government contracts for tents, rallies, and party events. He also ridiculed Chief Minister Mann for laying foundation stones of medical colleges without, he alleged, a single brick being laid toward their construction.

What This Signals

The Ghanaur rally marks an intensification of SAD's effort to reclaim its Sikh constituency ahead of future electoral cycles. By targeting both Waris Punjab De and AAP in the same speech, the party is attempting to frame the contest as one between authentic Punjabi political forces and what it characterises as external or proxy actors. How the AAP government and Waris Punjab De respond to these charges will shape the political temperature in Punjab in the weeks ahead.