In a major political development in Punjab, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra formally joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday during a public gathering held in Samana. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann personally welcomed him into the party. His family and several supporters also joined AAP along with him. Welcoming Surjit Singh Rakhra into the party, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “May 16 will be remembered as a significant day in Punjab’s political history, as a clean and respected personality dedicated to public service has joined the AAP family. Surjit Singh Rakhra had every opportunity to focus on expanding his business and personal interests, but he chose the path of serving common people.” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “I thank the entire Rakhra family and all their supporters for joining the AAP Punjab family. Sometimes leaders have to rise above personal interests and work for the welfare of the state, society and future generations.” He continued, “Surjit Singh Rakhra repeatedly tried to reform the Shiromani Akali Dal from within, but the party had gone astray and fallen into the wrong hands. The people had already rejected the Akali leadership because of their role in ‘beadbi’ incidents and anti-people politics.” Taking a sharp dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Punjab CM stated, “Leaders who once claimed they would rule Punjab for 25 years are now left without even 25 people in the party. The Shiromani Akali Dal has weakened to such an extent that even forming committees has become difficult for them.” CM Bhagwant Singh Mann further said, “Punjab needs experienced and honest people to rebuild the state and strengthen governance. The Rakhra family is a symbol of unity and hard work, and their experience will greatly benefit both Punjab and the party.” Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, Surjit Singh Rakhra stated, “I thank Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the AAP leadership for welcoming me into the party. My decision to leave the Shiromani Akali Dal was directly linked to the issue of ‘beadbi’ and the newly enacted anti-beadbi law.” He said, “For nearly one and a half years, I regularly visited the Samana Morcha, where Gurjeet Singh Khalsa had been protesting atop a 400 foot tower demanding strict legislation against beadbi. I strongly felt that such a law was necessary.” Surjit Singh Rakhra revealed, “Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann told me that if the government enacted a strong anti-beadbi law, then I should support the party. I had promised that if such a law was passed, I would have no hesitation in joining AAP.” He continued, “Previous governments failed to enact an effective law because of a lack of political will, whereas the Bhagwant Mann government fulfilled the long-standing demand after the Governor approved the legislation. Once the law was passed, I had to honour my commitment.” Surjit Singh Rakhra also praised the AAP government’s efforts and said, “The government’s work to expand canal water infrastructure and protect Punjab from turning into a desert state is commendable. The initiatives taken by the Bhagwant Mann government to revive Punjab’s water resources and increase the use of canal water have given hope to Punjab’s future generations.”