‘Truth of a painful era’: Sukhbir Badal says Akali Dal will screen ‘Satluj’ across Punjab

2 min readChandigarhJul 8, 2026 06:13 PM IST

Sukhbir Badal said Akali Dal will organise shows of the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer across Punjab to educate younger generations (File photos).

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced on social media Wednesday that the party will screen the film Satluj, starring Diljit Dosanjh as human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, across villages and towns in Punjab to tell the younger generation about the alleged atrocities committed against the Sikh community during the Congress regime.

Announcing the initiative in a post on X, Badal said the film highlights the sacrifices of Jaswant Singh Khalra and thousands of innocent Sikh youths and prominent Sikh personalities who, according to him, were subjected to inhuman torture during that period.

In the post, Badal said the film also depicts the “truth of a painful era” following the military operation at the Golden Temple and the anti-Sikh violence in Delhi and other cities, in which thousands of innocent Sikhs, including women, children and the elderly, lost their lives. He further alleged that thousands of Sikh youth protesting these events in Punjab were killed in fake police encounters during the Congress government.

ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਭਾਈ ਜਸਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ ਖਾਲੜਾ ਸਮੇਤ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਬੇਗੁਨਾਹ ਸਿੱਖ ਨੌਜਵਾਨਾਂ ਤੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਸਖਸ਼ੀਅਤਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਢਾਏ ਗਏ ਅਣਮਨੁੱਖੀ ਤਸ਼ੱਦਦ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ‘ਸਤਲੁਜ’ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਪਿੰਡ-ਪਿੰਡ ਵਿੱਚ ਤੇ ਕੋਨੇ-ਕੋਨੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਿਖਾਵੇਗਾ ਤਾਂ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ… pic.twitter.com/uz8sQQ25Ga

— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) July 8, 2026

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Stating that the party is committed to ensuring that future generations remain aware of this chapter of Sikh history, Badal asserted that the Shiromani Akali Dal would not allow these events to be forgotten.

Satluj, initially titled Ghallughara and later renamed Punjab ’95, is a highly controversial biographical political thriller directed by Honey Trehan.

Submitted for review in late 2022, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) initially demanded a staggering 127 cuts. Due to the regulatory complications, the producers had to abruptly withdraw the film from its planned global premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

The movie premiered on ZEE5 last Friday, reaching audiences. However, the relief was short-lived; within 48 hours of its release, the film was taken down from the streaming platform following directions from the Government of India.