Centre’s decisions creating alienation in Punjab: Badal

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 26

Owing to the perceived failure of the Central Government to address issues mainly related to the ‘panth’ and farmers, a sense of alienation was developing in Punjab. And its consequences could be disastrous as the state could travel back to the dark era of the 1980s and 90s.

This is what Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has conveyed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in New Delhi. Harcharan Bains, Adviser on National Affairs and Media to the CM, said, “Certain things have happened that create a needless and avoidable public perception about certain decisions of the government regarding farmers and ‘panthic’ issues. Badal is extremely concerned about the impact that such avoidable perceptions can have on communal harmony in the country.” When Badal got up to speak, in the presence of CMs of other states, he told Rajnath that he was going to say “sacchi baat and kauri baat besides maan ki baat” — bitter but true reflection of his mind.

Sources said that Badal went to the extent of saying that he would step aside if his concerns were not addressed. And then, no one would be able to manage Punjab. What was happening in Red-zone states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha could then happen in Punjab. 

Sources said Badal’s tone at the meeting was aggressive and he made it a point to tell all concerned that he was not making off-the-cuff remarks but was saying it on record.

Giving specific examples, Badal told Rajnath Singh that the appointment of BJP MLA and RSS man Tara Singh as the chief of the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Management Board was direct interference in Sikh affairs by a party (BJP) which has had close political ties with the Shiromani Akali Dal for many decades. At least, the Maharashtra Government should have consulted the SGPC, the apex elected body of the Sikhs for religious affairs, before appointing Tara Singh, Badal said.

Then, the Maharashtra Government increased the board members from 17 to 21, but reduced the representation of the SGPC and Chief Khalsa Dewan in it. There is a long standing pact between late Master Tara Singh and Nehru which states that there could be no interference in Sikh institutions without consulting the SGPC. Another issue raised by Badal was the setting up of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. He said while the Haryana committee was set up by the previous Congress government there, the incumbent BJP government did nothing to undo it.