Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema Pays Rich Tributes to Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on His Death Anniversary
Says AAP Government Committed to Safeguarding Punjab’s Peace, Progress and Interests of Every Section of Society
Babushahi Network
Longowal/Sunam, August 20, 2026 :
Punjab Finance, Planning and Taxation & Excise Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema today participated in a blood donation camp organised by the Red Cross on the death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal and paid rich tributes to the unparalleled sacrifice of Sant Longowal. Sabina Arora, wife of Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, was also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Exactly 41 years ago, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal sacrificed his life for the peace and harmony of Punjab. His unparalleled sacrifice will never go in vain. Today, the Punjab Government pays homage to his martyrdom by following the path of peace and communal harmony shown by him.”
A special blood donation camp was organised in memory of Sant Longowal, in which a large number of people donated blood as a mark of respect and tribute. Cabinet Minister Cheema said that Punjab Aam Aadmi Party President Aman Arora, who is representing the state government at a global conference in Bengaluru in his capacity as Industries Minister, had also expressed his heartfelt respect for Sant Longowal.
The Finance Minister categorically stated that the Punjab Government had made no attempt to suppress the voice of any journalist or media house. Every citizen and the media in the state have the right to express their views freely, he said.
Speaking about the protests being held by various organisations, Cheema said that it was the right of organisations to raise their demands, whether during elections or in normal times. He said that the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted under his chairmanship was continuously holding meetings with various organisations, and solutions had already been found to several of their genuine demands. This process would continue in the future as well, he added.
Responding to a question regarding DA arrears, Cheema said that the previous Akali-BJP and Congress governments had left more than Rs 14,000 crore in DA arrears pending. The AAP Government had presented a structured plan before the High Court and had already paid approximately Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore against these arrears, he said, adding that the remaining amount would also be released soon.
He reiterated that the AAP Government was committed to maintaining peace and promoting progress in Punjab while safeguarding the interests of every section of society.
Among those present on the occasion were OSD Tapinder Singh Sohi, Municipal Council President Rashpal Kaur, Kuldeep Singh Bunty Mann, Karamjit Kaur, Balwinder Singh Dhillon, Amritpal Singh Sidhu, Balwant Singh Beeta MC, Balwinder Singh MC, Jagdev Singh Budh Singh MC, Jaswinder Singh Nappi, Paramjit Kaur, Sarpanch Nihal Singh, Sarpanch Bhim Bawa, Sarpanch Jagraj Singh, Vicky Vashisht, Lakhvir Singh Lucky Sarpanch, Sarpanch Jagseer Singh, Sukhpal Singh Bajwa, Dr. Mohan Singh Sidhu, Gurjant Khan, Mela Singh Subedar, Harvinder Singh Bunty Virk, Balkar Singh Sidhu, Narinder Kumar Sharma, Kamaljit Singh Vicky, Satnam Singh, Pali MC, Sukhchain Singh, Aman Singh, Baljit Singh Dhillon, Jagseer Singh Seera, Market Committee Sunam Chairman Mukesh Juneja, senior leader Labh Singh Neelowal, Municipal Council President Manpreet Bansal, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora’s Media Coordinator Yashpal Mangla, Municipal Councillor Bhanu Pratap and Nirmala Singla, besides a large number of sarpanches, panches, block presidents, MCs and other leaders from the area.