JASWANT SINGH GANDAM & RAMAN NEHRA
PHAGWARA: Asserting that he was answerable to Akal Takht Sahib and not to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has declared that his party will abide by the diktats of Sri Akal Takht Sahib as for as the matter of seeking any support from Dera Sacha Sauda followers in the coming Lok Sabha polls was concerned.
Talking to newsmen here on March 16, Badal answered queries about Jakhar’s challenge to him for clarifying his stand on the matter.
Jakhar had himself declared that Congress will not seek support from Drera Sacha Sauda followers as they were responsible for sacrilegious incidents.
On his stand on the issue, Sukhbir said, ”SAD is a representative party of the Panth. We will follow in letter and spirit the edict of Sri Akal Takht Sahib regarding the Dera Sacha Saud vis-a-vis this matter.”
When told that the Akal Takht verdict against the Dera was in place even in 2017 when the SAD had sought its support, Sukhbir said,” At that time Akali Dal did not do anything on it. Candidates from all parties as individuals approached the dera for support.
“Since Akal Takht Sahib has given its verdict against the Dera and ex-communicated its head, I, as President of SAD and a true Sikh, will abide by the verdict in toto.”
However, he took Jakhar to task calling the Jakhars anti-Sikhs and stooges of the Gandhi family. Badal alleged that Sunil Jakhar’s father used to address Sikhs disparagingly as “Sikhrey” during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in order to please the Gandhi family.
Commenting on March 14 India-Pakistan meeting on Katrapur Sahib corridor, Sukhbir Badal accused Pakistan of creating hurdles intentionally in way of the project.
Asking Pakistan not to put restrictions and conditions on entry of pilgrims, he said Islamabad should follow the liberalism shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in respecting the Sikh sentiments.
“The demand of the government of India for allowing 5000 pilgrims daily and without any permit or other restrictions should be accepted by Pakistan,” he said.
“Let it be a visa-free entry”, he said.
On completion of two years of Amarinder Singh government, Sukhbir Badal dubbed the Chief Minister as the worst ever in the history of country.
“Such a useless and good- for-nothing CM has never before been seen in India,” he said and alleged that the Punjab government had failed on all fronts.
Stating that Amarinder Singh committed a sin by swearing with Gutka Sahib to mislead voters, Sukhbir Badal alleged that the Chief Minister was not fit for the post.
Dubbing the pre-poll surveys as misleading, Badal said that the SAD-BJP will sweep the Lok Sabha elections by winning all 13 seats in Punjab.
On his cousin Manpreet Badal’s comment that SAD had become edgy and the Badals were facing trust deficit crisis, Sukhbir retorted that Manpreet was frustrated and going the Taksali Akalis’ way.
Calling Taksali Akali Dal a misnomer, Badal alleged that none was a taksali at all.
“There was no crisis in SAD, Taksali Akali Dal will has no adverse impact on us and its chief Ranjit Singh Brahampura will forefeit his surety in polls even in his own village,” Badal said.
He also declared that Parkash Singh Badal will campaign in Lok Sabha polls.
He claimed that he had held meetings in 87 assembly segments so far and met with 1.75 lakh SAD-BJP workers during the last two and half months and had got himself photographed with them.
Such a photo session was held for three hours at Jalandhar with about 2,500 workers getting themselves photographed with him.
He spared an hour for it in Phagwara where a professional photographer was engaged.
He claimed massive enthusiasm among workers raring to take revenge on the Congress by giving it a drubbing at the hustings.
He later addressed workers meeting here.
Juxtaposing PM Narendra Modi and AICC President Rahul Gandhi, Badal asked party workers to blindly choose Modi over Rahul.
“Modi is decisive, daring and has an economic agenda while Rahul is sans any agenda,” he asserted.
Union minister Vijay Sampla, Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, SAD Vice- President Jarnail Singh Wahid, PAC and SGPC member Sarwan Singh Kuklar and Corporation Mayor Arun Khosla also spoke at the meeting.
Meanwhile, SAD-BJP workers on March 16 observed ‘Vishwasghat Divas’ by holding road shows and sit-ins at various places in Punjab, including Jalandhar, on completion of two years of Punjab government to protest its failure on all fronts.
