Ludhiana, Punjab – Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Congress MLA from Bholath and Chairman of All India Kisan Congress, today issued a scathing condemnation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s controversial land pooling policy, which seeks to acquire approximately 25,000 acres of fertile agricultural land in Ludhiana to develop an urban estate. Khaira labeled the scheme a “sinister land grab” orchestrated to enrich AAP leaders and their associates at the expense of Punjab’s farmers.
“This so-called land pooling policy is nothing but a dubious scheme designed to rob farmers of their ancestral lands and livelihoods under the guise of urban development,” Khaira declared. “The Bhagwant Mann government, acting under the directives of AAP’s Delhi leadership, is sacrificing Punjab’s agricultural heritage to benefit land mafias and politically connected elites.”
Khaira raised serious concerns about allegations that senior AAP leaders, including those close to the party’s top brass, purchased large tracts of land from farmers at throwaway prices in the Ludhiana region over the past couple of years. These purchases, he alleged, were made with insider knowledge of the proposed urban estate project, enabling these leaders to make windfall profits through the land pooling scheme. Sources indicate that Punjab Minister Aman Arora was divested of his housing portfolio due to his alleged involvement in such land deals, further casting a shadow over the AAP government’s intentions.
“The apprehension among farmers and villagers is palpable. They believe this scheme was engineered to allow AAP leaders to exploit Punjab’s land for quick financial gains,” Khaira said. “The divestment of Aman Arora’s housing portfolio is a tacit admission of the rot within the AAP’s ranks. Punjabis deserve transparency and accountability, not backroom deals that favor the powerful.”
Farmers across more than 40 villages in Ludhiana have united in fierce opposition to the policy, fearing it will strip them of their primary source of income and push them into economic distress.
Khaira emphasized that the scheme threatens to destroy Punjab’s rich agricultural legacy, which forms the backbone of the state’s economy and food security. “Punjab is losing its fertile land at an alarming rate to unchecked urbanization,” he warned. “This policy will not benefit ordinary Punjabis but will line the pockets of land mafias and corporate interests, leaving farmers destitute.”
Khaira also criticized the lack of consultation with local communities, panchayats, and gram sabhas, accusing the AAP government of bypassing democratic processes to push through the scheme. “No proper survey was conducted, and farmers were kept in the dark about the acquisition process. This is not development; it is exploitation,” he stated, echoing sentiments expressed at a recent BKU Dakaunda meeting he attended to support farmers’ protests against the policy.
The Congress MLA demanded the immediate scrapping of the land pooling policy and called for a white paper to disclose the true beneficiaries of the scheme. “The Bhagwant Mann government must stop this anti-farmer agenda and prioritize the welfare of Punjab’s agricultural community,” Khaira urged. “If this scheme is not withdrawn, we will intensify our opposition through protests and legal action to protect the rights of farmers.