Sukhbir Singh Badal (born 9 July 1962) is an Indian politician and businessman who served twice as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and is currently the president of Shiromani Akali Dal,and was a member of Parliament from the Firozpur Lok Sabha constituency.[1] He is the son of Parkash Singh Badal,who has served five times as the Chief Minister of Punjab. He is influential over the Sikh organisations of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.[2] Badal and his family have ownership stakes in an array of businesses- including real estate,transport and other activities.[3]
His son Anantbir Singh Badal made his first political appearance in 2019 before the Indian general election.[6]
Political career
Sukhbir Singh Badal was a member of the 11th and 12th Lok Sabha,representing Faridkot.[7][8] He was Union Minister of State for Industry in Second Vajpayee Ministry during 1998 to 1999. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha during 2001 to 2004. In 2004,he was re-elected from Faridkot for 14th Lok Sabha.[9] He became the President of Akali Dal in January 2008. A year later in January 2009,he was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab.[10] He was not the Member of Punjab Vidhan Sabha at that time. He resigned in July 2009,upon the completion of six-month period available for contesting elections for the assembly,during which he didn't contest any elections.[11] He was again appointed Deputy Chief Minister in August 2009 after winning by-elections from Jalalabad Assembly constituency.[12]
Akali Dal-BJP combined secured victory in the 2012 Punjab elections,beating anti-incumbency for the first time in Punjab.[13] Sukhbir was re-elected from Jalalabad and remained Deputy Chief Minister.[14][15] In the new government he held portfolio of Home,Governance Reforms,Housing,Excise and Taxation,Investment Promotion,Sports and Youth Services Welfare and Civil Aviation.[15] This victory and later victory in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections in January 2013 elevated the position of Sukhbir Singh Badal as an important leader in politics.[16]
Leader of Opposition
2017 Punjab elections
Badal defeated Bhagwant Mann of Aam Aadmi Party and Ravneet Singh Bittu of Indian Natioanal Congress in 2017 Assembly Elections.[17]SAD and BJP alliance lost the majority to Congress.[18] In 2019,he was elected as Member Parliament of Ferozpur Lok Sabha Constituency by defeating Sher Singh Ghubaya of INC by securing more than 600,000 votes on 23 May 2019.[19]
He was arrested over the 2015 Kotkapura firing case,although he was let go due to lack of evidence against Badal.[23][24]
Later in 2020 he was detained for protesting against the corruption of health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu outside Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's house.[25] Before his detainment he stated,"There is scam in vaccination,there is scam in Fateh Kit,there is scam in SC scholarship,farmers' land is being acquired" and then was dragged away by the Punjab Police.[26][25]
In 2021 during the 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest,Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal were detained by the Delhi Police as they led a protest march in the national capital to mark the first anniversary of the passage of three contentious farm laws.[27][28][29]
In October 2023 he was detained over the Sutlej Yamuna link canal issue,he protested against Bhagwant Mann who wanted to give Punjab's water to other states against the people's will.[30]
Sukhbir Singh Badal slammed Sikh preacher and radical Amritpal Singh for using the Adi Guru Granth as a shield during his protests in early 2023.[34] Although he also protested against the detainment of Sikh youth during Amritpal Singh's manhunt and the unofficial 'emergency' imposed by Bhagwant Mann.[35]
Like his father,Badal vehemently opposed the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna link canal and always supported the farmers of Punjab on the issue.[30]
Controversies
Issues
Many Sikhs protested against him for the Kotkapura firing case and asked him to apologise publicly,the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) separated from the main Shiromani Akali Dal for the same reason.[36][37] In late 2023 he made a public apology to all Sikhs in front of the Akal Takht declaring that he would imprison the culprits if the Shiromani Akali Dal ever came to power in Punjab.[38] Many politicians from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee rejoined the mainstream Shiromani Akali Dal,such as Manjit Singh GK,Harpal Singh Jalla,Amrik Singh Janaitpur,Harpreet Singh Garcha,Jagdish Singh Garcha rejoined his party.[39][36]
In April 2015,a teenage girl died and her mother was seriously injured when they were molested and thrown from a running bus near Gil village in Moga district.[40] The bus was operated by Orbit Aviation,a company in which Badal has stake.[41] Subsequently,it was revealed by news reports that the Chief Minister of Punjab gave the girl's father ₹3 million in compensation.[42]
Desolated by Akal Takht
On 13 December 2024,November AkaltakhtJathedar ("supreme spokesman or issuer of Sikh affairs") released an alteration within the presentment of other prudent leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) after allegedly declaring him as Tankhaiya and pervasivelyfrom today onward,no Sikh can communicate with or maintain relationships with one who is declared tankhaiya till their "atonement".[43][who?][citation needed]
Nepotism and Politics
He has borne the brunt of criticism from supporters of the Shiromani Akali Dal that he turned the party into a nepotistic and dynast party from its roots of a Democratic and Panth-centric party.[44] The Badal family has also been accused of shifting the focus of the Shiromani Akali Dal from Panth to Punjab and hence destroying the old party of Master Tara Singh.[44] The party President for the past 30 years have been Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal- after the complete losses to AAP and the INC in 2022 Legislative and 2024 General elections many party members took to protest and many left.[44] The Jhundan Reforms Committee report under Iqbal Singh Jhundan was prepared with steps to make the party succeed and continue as a representative of Punjab;but Sukhbir Singh Badal did not accept it.[45]
A rebel Akali Dal formed within the party including Manpreet Singh Ayali,Prem Singh Chandumajra,Iqbal Singh Jhundan and Parminder Singh Dhindsa.[46] While Sukhbir had announced his support for the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu during the Presidential poll,Ayali's party had boycotted the election.[47] The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Akal Takht also assumed an autonomous role while dealing with the Akali Dal;often the Jathedar slammed the party for going from working for farmers and labourers to capitalists.[48] His promise to establish party units in all states having Sikh populations outside Punjab was also not fulfilled,and the Shiromani Akali Dal stopped their work for upliftment of Dalits in Punjab.[49][50]
In the 2024 General election the party got a lower vote percentage than the Bharatiya Janata Party;and lower percentage than ever before and radicals received more support and seats.[51] According to most political experts,the reason for the Akali Dal's failure was lack of campaigning and lack of faith in the party.[51] Most supporters of the party state that Manpreet Singh Ayali should be made the Party President and the Jhundan Reforms Committee report should be implemented.[citation needed]
Businesses and real estate
Badal and his family have direct or indirect interests in any array of businesses.[52][53] Badal holds a majority stake in the Punjabi language PTC television network.[54][55] Badal and his family are also major stakeholders in Orbit Aviation,Dabwali Transport,Indo-Canadian Transport Company,Metro Eco Green Resorts,Saanjh Foundation,Falcon Properties,Punjab Animal Breeders,Gurbaz Media,G-Next Media,Rajdhani Express,Azad Hoshiarpur,Taj Travels,PTC Group and Orbit Resorts.[56][57] He has been accused of enriching private transport companies,which he has a stake in,while the state transport department has deteriorated.[58][59] The Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort in New Chandigarh is owned by and named after Sukhbir Badal.[60]
He was accused of running Punjab like a Pvt. Limited company instead of a state. Sukhbir Singh Badal's business and Ponty Chadha (supported by Captain Amarinder Singh) were at crosshairs with each other to dominate Punjab's business and industry- after the latter's death it led to Badal's dominance.[61] Bikram Singh Majithia (Badal's brother-in-law) owns Saraya Industries,which has operations in liquor and energy.[61] Badal's other brother-in-law Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon has majority shares in Shivalik Telecom.[61] Deep Malhotra heads the liquor-making Oasis Group and is an ex-Akali Dal MLA.[61] Shiv Lal Doda set up Gagan Wines and was the Akali Dal local leader in Abohar.[61] The stone crushing industry was dominated by Kuldeep Singh Makkar,who is the brother of ex-Akali Dal MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar.[61] “Out of the 84 luxury bus permits operating in Punjab,at least 52 are with transport companies patronised by the Badals.”[61]
A new cable distribution network—Fastway Transmission Private Ltd—usurped the main three networks Hathway (belonging to Mumbai’s Rahejas),Zee’s Wires &Wireless India Ltd,and Digicable. Fastway too has a Badal connection.[61] Between 2010 and 2015,Jagjit Singh Kohli and Yogesh Shah were directors on Fastway’s board.[61] Their names,incidentally,also show up in the statutory filings of Sukhbir Singh Badal’s two media companies—Gur-Baz Media and G-Next Media.[61] G-Next owns the PTC Group of television channels.[61] In 2014,Gur-Baz owned 99.98% shares in G-Next.[61] Orbit Resorts owned 99.98% shares in Gur-Baz.[61] Sukhbir Badal owned 67.32% of Orbit Resorts.[61] It is unproven but alleged that Badal also indirectly owners a share in parking lots and night clubs in New York,and multiple large farms in the United States of America.[62]
Badal has been complemented by his supporters and opponents that he has a shrewd business acumen;and that if he leaves politics he would be a leading business icon internationally.[63]
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