By Vipul Kashyap
New Delhi [India], October 1 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has urged the Punjab government to keep sports grounds away from rallies, expressing concern over the condition of a university ground where a "political programme" was held to mark the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh.
In an X post on Thursday, Harbhajan Singh criticised the condition of the university ground following the event and urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann not to allow sports grounds or university grounds to be used for political rallies.
“Mann Sahib, please watch this entire video. Why was the university ground chosen for the 'Jashan-e-Inqlab' (Celebration of Revolution)? Seeing this was truly disheartening. What kind of 'Celebration of Revolution' is this? Facilities meant for athletes have been ruined, and a photograph of Bhagat Singh has been dumped in a pile of garbage. Even Bhagat Singh himself would be weeping to see this state of affairs. I earnestly request you: do not use sports grounds—or the university ground—for political rallies,” he had said in a X post in Punjabi, referring to a news report .
Speaking to ANI later on Thursday, Harbhajan Singh said sports grounds should not be damaged for political or religious rallies, recalling a similar incident in Rupnagar. He questioned whether Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary should be celebrated by leaving his posters in garbage and urged people to honour his legacy by keeping his ideals alive.
“Look, I posted the tweet because the sports grounds, whether they are at the university or at any district level, should not be ruined. I had raised this before regarding a ground in Rupnagar district where the government held a rally, which ruined the condition of the ground. Many players complained; I saw some videos, and the locals said to get our ground fixed. I had spoken about it then, but look at the condition of the university ground now. A political programme was held there for celebrating Bhagat Singh ji's birth anniversary. But do we celebrate Bhagat Singh ji's birth anniversary like this?”
“I keep saying this over and over again. I would urge you to definitely remember him, keep him alive in your hearts. You took an oath to make Punjab drug-free or to set things on the right track. But today, if Bhagat Singh's posters were found lying in a pile of garbage right after that rally and celebration, how would you feel? And if Bhagat Singh is looking from above, his soul must also be crying at this kind of destruction,” he told ANI.
Harbhajan Singh said the rally had damaged the sports ground and urged the Punjab government to preserve sports infrastructure. He called for political rallies to be held at designated political grounds instead of facilities used by athletes and trainees.
“The ground where this rally was held has been ruined. All the trainees and athletes who go there for their daily routine to train and move forward in life—how long will it take for that ground to get fixed? They say liquor bottles were also found there. I don't know, I haven't seen it. But the dirt shown in the video, or the condition of the ground, looks absolutely terrible. So my only request to the government is, as a sportsman, keep sports away from your political rallies. Keep sports grounds away from this. You have political grounds; go and hold rallies there. Who is stopping you? But the sports infrastructure that is left, don't ruin it because we've already seen that this government, or even the ones before, haven't done anything for sports in Punjab,” he said.
“I want all the sports infrastructure to be preserved. My request is simply that our grounds, especially where athletes train, shouldn't be ruined, and political rallies shouldn't be held there,” he added. (ANI)
Harbhajan Singh asks Punjab government to “keep sports grounds away from rallies”
