Chandigarh: Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh is a “nominee” of the Union government planted in Punjab to polarise votes, Shiromani Akali Dal President and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has said.
In an interview to ThePrint, Badal said the emergence and sudden rise of Amritpal in Punjab and the alacrity with which he was fielded as a candidate in the Lok Sabha elections raised several questions.
“First, Amritpal’s advocate is in-charge of the RSS (Rashtriya Sikh Sangat) of the Malwa region. Second, how come a NSA (National Security Act) detainee is able to file his nomination papers with such ease? The jail superintendent of the Dibrugarh jail in Assam is calling up the deputy commissioner here to tell him that the oath has been taken before him and his papers are in order. Why is there so much government support to make sure that everything is in order? And that too despite the fact that there were several lacunae in his nomination papers,” Badal said.
“Another question that I want an answer to is that how is a man who is speaking anti-India is allowed to come in India, become a baptised Sikh in one year and then allowed to roam around freely? And when the game is over, taken away and then brought back…these are the questions that the people need answers to because it is uncanny as to what is happening…something which has never happened before.”
Amritpal is contesting from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent. Voting will take place 1 June.
“National parties do not see the interest of a state. They are only concerned about numbers. Here, they want to project a person who is promoting Khalistan and show him as a candidate to polarise…we will support somebody coming and preaching Sikh religion or talking about tackling drugs, but he is being used to polarise (voters) which is a dangerous move,” said Badal.
The BJP is doing this as it is panicking and is losing the ground, the SAD leader said
“They have reached a stage where they only want to win elections, not the hearts of the people. by saying that the Muslims will take away your mangalsutras… Muslims are 18 percent, you (Hindus) are 70 percent. Last 70 years they have not done it; why would they do it now? A person from 1 percent of the population has the same right as a person from a majority community.”
Punjab has no space for militancy and people here want peace, he said. “They want to work hard and progress. Punjabis are nationalists.”
Also Read: 12 FIRs & Rs 1,000 to his name — what jailed Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh’s poll affidavit says
‘Mann will break away from AAP’
Attacking Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Badal said that Mann was in alliance with the BJP for these elections while the Aam Aadmi Party was in alliance with the Congress. “After the elections, Bhagwant Mann is going to break away from the AAP to make Aam Aadmi Party (Punjab). He is under the direct control of the HM (Amit Shah). What happened in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar party is going to be repeated.”
Badal said that there was a liquor scam bigger than the Delhi liquor scam in Punjab but the chief minister had been kept out of it by the BJP, giving him a safe haven. “This will ensure that the Punjab CM does whatever the central BJP says.”
Badal said that the reason the BJP-SAD alliance did not take place was because the BJP was interested only in numbers. ” The policy of the Akali Dal is very clear. We believe in the unity of all religions…sarbat da bhala (good of everyone). We believe in uniting people in harmony not causing disharmony, but the BJP wants communal disharmony.”
On the 2015 sacrilege issues that led to the electoral downfall of the Akali Dal in 2017, Badal said that it was a political agenda of the national parties to defame a regional party. “Their governments have been in power and yet they have not been able to point a single finger at us. People realise that now that they have been cheated.”
“I have sought forgiveness from God because the sacrilege happened when we were in the government and we were not able to get hold of those people because of the politics played by the national parties.. to shift the investigation out of Punjab to the CBI.”
When asked about the police firing incidents that took place following the sacrilege that led to the death of two persons, Badal said it was a law and order issue and had to be handled accordingly. “Firing first started from the protesters’ side…and all this is being investigated. How can the CM be held responsible for a firing incident.. that means the PM will be arrested every day for whatever is happening in Jammu and Kashmir.. the present government under Bhagwant Mann has ordered firing several times and people have died. Is the CM responsible for that?”
To a query on the allegations that the Akali Dal controls the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), Badal said that it is not under their control. “It is an elected body. Anyone can contest and can be voted in. In the past 100 years, the Akali Dal has been contesting elections and the people have put their faith in the Akali Dal. It is not controlling which is like dictatorship. It is a democratic system,” he explained.
On giving forgiveness to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2015 by the SGPC, Badal said that this was the decision of the Shri Akal Takht Sahib. “If a Supreme Court gives a judgement, has Prime Minister Modi got it done?”
Badal said his party had overcome the temporary setback since the 2017 assembly elections and revived itself in Punjab. “It is because of the strong base of party workers in Punjab. In these elections, we will have the highest vote share.”
Badal said there was a huge responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of his father, Parkash Singh Badal. “My father was a person everybody trusted and had faith in.. he knew every worker in the state..that is a big handicap with me…I am new to leading the party.. I still need to imbibe his patience, hard work and his ability to forgive people,” he asserted.
When asked why he was not contesting this time, Badal said that he had to campaign and spend time in each constituency with the candidates. “I have to lead the campaign from the front. For the past three months, I have been in the Punjab Bachao Yatra that has got a huge response,” he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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