Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The proposed BJP-Akali alliance is a deal for political protection at the cost of Punjab’s interests, with Sukhbir Singh Badal seeking the BJP’s backing to escape the beadbi (sacrilege) and firing cases in return for supporting the BJP’s political agenda, including efforts to bring back the three farm laws, said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Thursday. AAP said the political bargain is particularly shameful given that the 2015 theft and repeated beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, followed by police firing on peaceful protesters at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, took place under the BJP-Akali government, when Sukhbir Singh Badal was the Home Minister.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab MLA Manwinder Singh Giaspura said, “On June 1, 2015, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was stolen during the Akali-BJP government, but the incident was taken lightly by the government. Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was then the Home Minister, has told the SIT during questioning that he was not aware of the theft. However, the Intelligence Wing had sent a report and Sukhbir Singh Badal’s personal secretary also told the SIT that information about the incident was available. How could the Home Minister remain unaware when his own office had received information?”
Manwinder Singh Giaspura said that even after the theft, the government failed to act when posters were put up in September 2015 challenging Sikhs to find their stolen Guru. “The failure to take timely action emboldened those responsible for the subsequent beadbi in October, when the Angs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were found scattered in the streets, deeply hurting Sikhs across the world,” he added.
He said the sangat had gathered peacefully at Kotkapura, where ardas and kirtan were taking place, but water cannons were used against the protesters. Manwinder Singh Giaspura said he was also present at the protest. “The SIT has already presented a chargesheet in the Kotkapura firing case, in which Sukhbir Singh Badal, Charanjit Sharma, Paramraj Singh Umranangal and Sumedh Singh Saini are facing proceedings and are currently on bail. The key question before the SIT is who ordered the firing and who gave the directions to disperse the peaceful protesters,” he said.
Manwinder Singh Giaspura said the subsequent events at Behbal Kalan on October 14 were even more painful, as two young men, Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh, were killed in police firing while the sangat was holding a peaceful protest. “Sukhbir Singh Badal has repeatedly claimed that he was not in Punjab at the time. But court documents related to his bail indicate that Sukhbir Singh Badal was present in Punjab and was staying at a five-star hotel. Directions were being given from there to senior police officers including Charanjit Sharma, Paramraj Singh Umranangal and Sumedh Singh Saini. The people of Punjab want to know who ordered the firing and who gave the directions to disperse the protesters. Sukhbir Singh Badal himself had acknowledged his role in the events before Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” he said.
Referring to the statement given by Giani Raghbir Singh to the SIT, Manwinder Singh Giaspura said the contents of the acknowledgement made by Sukhbir Singh Badal before Sri Akal Takht Sahib are part of the record. “If this acknowledgement and other evidence are already part of the record, why should they not be presented before the court and the SIT? Why should those responsible not face the strictest punishment? Punjab has the right to know who gave the orders and who was responsible for the deaths of Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh,” he said.
AAP Punjab Spokesperson Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said Sukhbir Singh Badal’s repeated failure to appear before the SIT in connection with the beadbi, Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing cases shows the lack of seriousness of the Akali Dal Badal leadership towards these grave issues. He said the Akali Dal-BJP nexus now stands exposed, particularly when Sukhbir Singh Badal had earlier acknowledged responsibility before Sri Akal Takht Sahib. “I want to ask whether worldly courts are more important to you or our supreme Sri Akal Takht Sahib? Sri Akal Takht Sahib, established by our Guru Sahib, is far more sacred and supreme than worldly courts, and every Sikh and Punjabi holds immense faith and respect for it,” Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said.
Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said that when Sukhbir Singh Badal was summoned by the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, he had accepted responsibility for the beadbi and firing on the peaceful congregation that was reciting ardas and Gurbani, and his entire Cabinet had undergone punishment according to Sikh maryada. “If you came before the highest court of the Guru and admitted your responsibility, then how can you now refuse to speak the truth before the SIT? Where has your devotion to the Guru and your Panthic stand gone?” he asked.
Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said that while serving as Home Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal had maintained that he was abroad on the day of the firing, whereas Faridkot court records and Sukhbir Singh Badal’s own writ petition show that he was sitting in a five-star hotel and remained in continuous contact with senior police officials during the night. “When the conversation continued throughout the night while he was the Home Minister, then who bears responsibility for it?” Ranbir Singh Dhindsa asked.
He said this was the nexus between the Akali Dal and BJP and that it had exposed their anti-Punjab, anti-Panth and anti-Sikh politics.
Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said the reason behind Sukhbir Singh Badal’s failure to appear before the SIT was the political understanding being worked out with the BJP leadership in Delhi. He said Sukhbir Singh Badal was being assured that he did not need to appear and that political protection would be provided in the beadbi cases. “In return for this protection, Sukhbir Singh Badal has compromised Punjab’s interests and agreed to support the BJP on the black farm laws,” he said.
Ranbir Singh Dhindsa said the alliance that was broken for show in 2020 had never truly broken, pointing to the Akali Dal’s support for the BJP candidate in the presidential elections and the vote of its lone MP for a Bill in Parliament. “Where have their conditions regarding MSP, farm laws or Sikh issues gone today? Today, the only thing that matters to them is how to escape the allegations and punishment in the beadbi cases,” he said.
AAP said Punjab cannot forget the sacrifices made during the farmers’ movement and that any attempt to revive the farm laws through a renewed BJP-Akali understanding would once again put political interests above the interests of Punjab.
