Chandigarh/Amritsar: Shiromani Akali Dal has launched an aggressive campaign against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab government to protest the severe power crisis and long unscheduled power cuts in the state. To awaken the state government, senior leadership of the Akali Dal, led by former minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia, staged large protest rallies outside various district headquarters and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices. A large number of party workers, farmers, and industrialists took part in these demonstrations, raising strong slogans against the government.

1. Addressing the crowds during the protests, Akali leaders alleged that the power crisis has not only plunged ordinary homes into darkness for hours, but has also pushed both the state's industrial sector and farming community to the brink of collapse. The leaders said that farmers took great care of their paddy and basmati crops, but the crops are now drying up in the fields during their most critical growing phase due to a severe shortage of water and power. Because tube wells are not getting enough electricity, farmers are forced to spend heavily on expensive diesel.

2. Concerns over industry shutdown and unemployment:

Meanwhile, factory production has come to a halt in industrial hubs like Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Jalandhar, and Amritsar due to frequent power outages. Industrialists are facing heavy financial losses, and if this continues, factories will move to other states, putting lakhs of young workers at risk of losing their jobs. Akali leaders stated that the government's claims of having surplus power are completely disconnected from the ground reality.

3. Addressing the rally, senior Akali leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia said that the Aam Aadmi Party government is running the state only through false advertisements and PR campaigns. He said the Chief Minister and his ministers think they can hide the ground truth through media ads worth crores of rupees, but the aware people of Punjab clearly understand the reality. Majithia warned that the Shiromani Akali Dal will hold the government accountable for harming Punjab in the name of false change and revolution.

4. The leaders demanded that the government immediately provide 8 to 10 hours of uninterrupted electricity to the agricultural sector, relieve domestic consumers from unnecessary power cuts, and ensure smooth supply to industries. The Akali Dal warned that if the situation does not improve in the coming days, they will step up the protest and surround the official residences of cabinet ministers.