Sukhbir Badal’s Gen Z connect with pizza, Diet Coke & ‘cool dad’ image

Clad in a white kurta-pajama, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal tried to strike a chord with Gen Z at Khalsa College, Patiala, as the party launched its youth outreach programme, ‘Vibe Punjab Di’, on Thursday evening.

Banners carrying Badal’s photographs and the programme’s branding had been put up across the city ahead of the event, which featured a mix of political questions and lighter conversations with youngsters.

When a group of students aged between 18 and 25 asked Badal about his favourite song, he said, “I have got no time to listen to music.”

Moments later, a Diljit Dosanjh track, Vibe Teri Meri Mildi Aa, was played in the background, prompting Badal to smile and pose for a selfie with the youngsters.

The SAD chief arrived in Patiala after launching a door-to-door campaign pamphlet in Chandigarh earlier in the day. While several of his responses remained political, the students also sought to know the man beyond politics — his favourite food, student life, relationship with his daughters and his views on technology and agriculture.

Responding to a question by one Sabir Singh on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in agriculture, Badal said Punjab needed to focus on agriculture and industry and move away from the wheat-paddy cycle.

He said he was experimenting with soilless farming in grow bags in his village, Badal. According to him, strawberries, blueberries, cherry tomatoes and red and yellow capsicums were being grown using technology. “Everything is governed through technology. The computer is fed with what needs to be given to the plants, and farming happens accordingly.”

Story continues below this ad

Emphasising that he would showcase the system soon, Badal also said if the SAD returned to power, his party would provide an 80 per cent subsidy to farmers adopting such technology-oriented farming.

On Punjab’s debt, student Harneet Kaur asked how the state could become debt-free, citing the figure of around Rs 4.5 lakh crore. Badal said there were “good” and “bad” debts, with the former being used for development and income generation, and the latter for meeting day-to-day expenses; his government would seek to avoid what he termed “bad debt”.

He claimed that Punjab’s debt-to-GDP ratio had fallen from 46 per cent in 2007 to 32 per cent in 2017 during SAD rule and had subsequently risen to 49 per cent.

The interaction also took a lighter turn when food blogger Navi Anand asked Badal about his favourite food. Badal said he was a vegetarian, and that he enjoyed pizza and pasta. He also said he liked maa di dal and Diet Coke.

Story continues below this ad

“I am also trying to catch up with my young daughters. I am the cool parent, while my wife is very strict with the children,” he laughed.

He also went down memory lane, reminiscing about how he missed out on crucial years with his father — Parkash Singh Badal. “Badal Sahab had committed himself to the people. He did not even know which school I was studying in, and once… he went up to the principal and asked for me by my nickname — ‘Lali’.”

While calling himself a ‘development man’, Badal also urged the youth to choose a chief minister who could take Punjab forward. “I respect former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh as an elder, but he rarely came out to interact with people when he was the CM, while the present Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has pushed Punjab backwards.”

According to SAD members, around 4,000 question chits were dropped into a box, and questions were selected by draw. About 10 questions were answered on stage.

Story continues below this ad

Concluding the interaction, Badal said if the SAD returned to power, government jobs would be given only to Punjabis, adding that 75 per cent of jobs in industries would have to go to Punjabis.

The SAD youth wing said similar ‘Vibe Punjab Di’ programmes would be organised in other cities of Punjab in the coming days.

SAD to launch door-to-door campaign

The SAD on Thursday announced an intensive programme for the forthcoming Assembly elections centred on a door-to-door campaign in all assembly constituencies starting October 6. The door-to-door campaign will also be kicked off by Badal and will be initiated from Attari in Amritsar, the party said in a statement.

The campaign will be organised simultaneously in all Assembly constituencies to take suggestions for formulating the SAD’s election manifesto, it added.

Story continues below this ad

Besides, a statewide bus yatra led by Badal will also commence on November 10 from Talwandi Sabo, the party said.

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal will launch the second phase of the anti-drug movement of women from Sri Muktsar Sahib on October 5. The movement will take its slogan “Maawan–Dheeyan di Lalkaar, Band Karo Nasha da Vyapar” across the state.

A public rally has also been planned for December 8 at the historic Killi Chahlan village in Moga on the birthday of Parkash Singh Badal, it said.

Party leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the decisions were taken after a meeting of the party’s ‘halka incharge’ and observers under the chairmanship of Sukhbir Badal.

Story continues below this ad

“Earlier, the manifesto committee has held meetings with the party’s scheduled caste and backward caste wings and will continue this exercise by meeting farmers, traders, youth and government employees,” he said, adding the campaign would be completed by October 25.

He also announced a ten-member committee of lawyers to monitor false, baseless and defamatory content being circulated against the party and its leaders in the media and on social media platforms.