Rift widens in SAD: Romana accuses Ayali of Land Pooling Scam, dares him to prove innocence
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 30, 2025 – In a dramatic escalation of internal discord within the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), senior party leader Parambans Singh Romana launched a direct attack on fellow SAD leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, accusing him of benefiting from the Punjab government’s controversial land pooling scheme and engaging in large-scale irregularities.
Romana challenged Ayali to deny that he got his own land excluded from acquisition, even as adjoining land belonging to poor farmers was notified under the policy.
Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh, Romana alleged that Ayali struck a "settlement" with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership to protect his assets while turning a blind eye to the plight of farmers in Ludhiana district. “The AAP government adjusted Ayali and excluded all land controlled by him from the scheme, silencing him on the issue of land grabbing,” Romana said.
Romana presented documents and land maps to substantiate his claims. He pointed out that 28 acres owned by the Ayali family under ‘Avanta Enclave’ and an additional 7.5 acres were left out of the pooling scheme, while adjacent lands belonging to farmers were marked for acquisition. Another parcel (Mastile No. 70) comprising 20 acres was partially excluded—8 acres linked to Ayali were spared, while 12 acres of neighboring farmers' land were included.
Romana went further, accusing Ayali of building the Avanta Enclave illegally. “The enclave was built on 28 acres with 70% built-up area, whereas only 55% is legally permitted,” he said. Romana also alleged that Ayali misrepresented the colony's construction date to 2015 to benefit from a 2018 government scheme allowing regularization of unauthorized colonies for a nominal fee of ₹3 crore, thereby evading a penalty of ₹55 crore.
Presenting satellite images from 2017 to 2020, Romana claimed the land was barren until 2019 and development only began around 2020. He further accused Ayali of using backdated stamp papers for agreements, a scam allegedly revealed during a Vigilance Department investigation.
Romana also referenced Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who, according to him, had hinted at Ayali’s alleged wrongdoing during the Ludhiana West by-poll campaign.
Daring Ayali to refute the charges, Romana said, “I challenge him to produce even a single registered sale deed for any of the 93 plots in Avanta Enclave before 2018.”
He concluded by alleging that Ayali had also gotten land parcels on Hambran Road and in Kail village excluded from the pooling scheme and promised to release related documents once they are acquired.