‘Instead of finding scapegoat, Akali Dal must look inward’: Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar

Sanjeev Verma / TNN / Jun 27, 2024, 08:59 IST

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As Punjab BJP president, I emphasize the urgency of addressing radicalism and fulfilling promises for Punjab's development. The political climate is volatile, with the AAP facing potential downfall. Strong leadership and unity are crucial to combat radical influences and deliver on commitments for the state's betterment.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar

Even as crisis-hit Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for destroying it through central agencies and its stooges, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar says instead of looking for a scapegoat, Akalis should focus within and accept the reality. In an interview with Sanjeev Verma, he warns Punjabis against radicalism. He underlines the fall of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would be more rapid than its rise.

Excerpts:
SAD leadership claims BJP and central agencies are hellbent on breaking SAD and render Sikhs leaderless.
Rather than looking for a scapegoat, the Akalis should accept the reality. They should take responsibility for what is happening and analyse why they are in such a position. It is the same BJP to which Badal Sahab (former CM Parkash Singh Badal) used to refer “ nau-mass da rishta (ties like nail and flesh)” and all of a sudden it has become pariah as they are blaming everything on the BJP for whatever has gone wrong with the SAD. I don’t think this will help them in any way. If they do the thorough introspection, they would realise that the fault lies within. Rather they should take credit for the time spent together with the BJP. Whether it is Kartarpur Corridor or pruning of the Black List or celebrating Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 400th anniversary at the Red Fort or the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared Vir Bal Diwas to commemorate the sacrifice of Sahibzadas, the SAD should appreciate that. If they are now raising the issues of Bandi Singhs (Sikh detenues) now, the same issue was also there when we were alliance partners. Bandi Singhs are there in jails because of what had happened in 1984 but they now are blaming the BJP. Nobody will swallow it, including their own followers. Everybody says that they should go to the Akal Takht and I also believe that they should first accept their shortcomings and go to the people with a clear heart. The SAD had been changing its stance, putting up (Balwant Singh) Rajoana’s sister in the election and then dumping them and now speaking for Amritpal Singh whom the SAD was calling few days ago the BJP stooge.
Either Sukhbir can stand up to the situation and prove his leadership abilities or he can let it go by blaming the BJP.

After Amritpal, now his associate detained in Dibrugarh jail under NSA — Bhagwant Singh alias Pradhan Mantri Bajeke — has announced to contest bypoll from Gidderbaha constituency.
This is what my apprehension was even before the Lok Sabha elections and it seems to be coming true right now. Whether it is Faridkot or Kha door Sahib and now Gidderbaha, I am more worried about what is going to happen in Dera Baba Nanak, because the names which have propped up are no less than the Khalsa who won from Faridkot. The name being proposed from Barnala should worry the entire Punjab. Every right thinking person should be alarmed. It is because the

Akali Dal has failed Punjab, I would say. This is their forte. They (SAD) have exalted the position because they represent the Panth and this exalted position makes it incumbent upon them to fulfil this responsibility. They (SAD) are the safety valve. So these issues should be addressed in a constitutional way at the right platform rather than playing at the hands of the ultras. People of Punjab should be very concerned about this growing threat of radicalism. We should all put our heads together as the growing support for radicalism is worrisome. This has manifested in Punjabis trying to glorify the violence that happened at the Chandigarh airport where a uniformed lady slapped an MP.
It should have been condemned by all because violence only begets violence. Other skirmishes which happened in Himachal also should be avoided. This is not Punjabiat and Punjab needs peace and amity, and only after that could we address the issues of drugs, financial crises.
As the BJP-led NDA govt has come to power for a third time, how and when is it going to address the protesting farmers’ issues?
It will have to be through discussions and various steps are being taken. MSP (minimum support price) on 23 crops is not the solution, at least not for Punjab, because Punjab has been caught in the paddy-wheat cycle. So this cycle needs to be broken only with the assured income. The main question is how to enhance the farmers’ income and it should be a long-term solution and not a knee-jerk reaction. I see a ray of hope, because now we have a very experienced agriculture minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan during whose tenure as CM, Madhya Pradesh’s agriculture growth rate was double than the national level. The BJP is focusing on the farmers and it is not only the central govt but in BJP-ruled Rajasthan, farmers are getting Rs 2,000 over and above Rs 6,000 on account of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi in their bank accounts. But the discussions should have all stakeholders.
Your former Congress colleague and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa says you had said that the Congress rejected you as chief minister since you are a Hindu but will you now question the BJP for inducting defeated candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu in the Union cabinet by ignoring you?
I think my so-called former colleagues do not have the guts to call a spade a spade. Sunil is immaterial in this whole equation and Punjab does not bother whether Sunil was made CM or not. But the reason for which Sunil was denied was of much importance because India is a secular country and Punjab is the most secular state in the country.
Guru Sahib has taught us the lesson of universal brotherhood. Can Randhawa deny the fact that Ambika Soni, his political mentor, had raised the issue that only a turbaned person can be chief minister of Punjab? But when Ravneet Bittu was inducted in the Union cabinet nobody in the BJP said so. Earlier, Arun Jaitley (Hindu) lost the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar but he was made the finance minister by the BJP. Manmohan Singh was made prime minister not because he was a Sikh but because he was capable. Is it not a fact that elections were held and 42 MLAs voted for Sunil Jakhar? Is it not a fact that Charanjit Singh Channi was made CM who got just two votes out of the 80 votes? I am only talking about the matter of principle, political propriety and Punjabiat. How can you discriminate against anybody based on their religion? It is what Randhwa, Channi and Raja Warring said that if any Hindu will be made the CM, Punjab will be on flames and Ambika Soni endorsed it. That is why Warring is now putting on a turban which he did not used to put on earlier.

What are the main reasons for the increase in BJP’s vote share to 18.56% in Punjab despite strong protests by farmers?
The BJP was for the first time contesting the elections on its own. I had said that we would have to get out of this younger brother, big brother syndrome with the SAD. People in Punjab have taken us as a serious player who means business and are now here to stay without being dependent on the Akali Dal. People who were earlier wavering between the Congress and the SAD have decided to side with the BJP.
The Congress and other parties say that the BJP is polarising but it is because the Congress, with its petty mindedness, is trying to discriminate against the Hindus calling them second-class citizens that they can’t become CM here.
Secondly, insecurity prevails in Punjab which was bad enough earlier because of the law and order situation. But this added factor now of radicalism taking roots in Punjab in such a way is people’s concern because peace, security and amity in the state is paramount whether they are Hindus or Sikhs.
Political analysts opine that it would be difficult for the BJP to sustain this vote share in the next Punjab assembly elections in 2027.
Only time will tell but we will work our best. But given the kind of situation which is prevailing in Punjab, people will realise. You have to compare what is happening right now in the state because they are partners in crime. Congress cannot claim that it will benefit from the collapse of the AAP which seems imminent.It is not that anybody could topple the govt here but they are feeling the heat within and see all the dissatisfied MLAs the way they have been relegated and how they will fulfil the promises. The fall of the AAP will be more rapid than their rise.
What is the BJP's strategy for the Jalandhar (West) bypoll and other polls in future?
We will take this message to the people as to why Punjab should lag behind in development. Why has Haryana gone ahead and Punjab left behind? It is because of the wrong leadership and their wrong policies. Punjab needs hand holding right now and special attention on the issues of finance and law and order. Only strengthening BJP is the way forward.
After the Lok Sabha results across the country, do you agree with BJP national president JP Nadda’s comments before the elections that the saffron party did not need RSS’s support?
The BJP has always maintained that it is in politics and the RSS is the ideological fountainhead from which it gets the inspiration.
Roles of both of them remain the same and the unifying factor is nation first politically and also ideologically. Though over the period Congress lost its ideological moorings, this is BJP’s strength that it is ideologically rooted in RSS and they are always together in making the nation great.
BJP, like other political parties in Punjab, was struggling to find best candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies. How prepared are you to field 117 candidates in the 2027 assembly polls?
I agree that it was difficult for the BJP in these elections but what happened to the other established parties? We have two and half years left and we will cultivate leadership within the cadre and field candidates who have credibility in the masses. Now we have experience of contesting the LS election alone.
Opposition parties blame the BJP-led NDA govt for not holding the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections.
Blaming the Centre is not the issue but the vested parties here should be very clear whether they really want to have the SGPC elections. On the one hand, SAD president Sukhbir Badal blames the BJP for this, while on the other, the SGPC president’s name is coming out of Sukhbir’s pocket. They are playing both sides.

About the Author

Sanjeev Verma

Sanjeev Verma is Senior Assistant Editor in the Punjab Bureau of The Times of India. He writes on politics, security, public policy, finance, industries and commerce, rural development, legal affairs, defence services welfare and NRI affairs. He has earlier covered Haryana, as well as Punjab and Haryana High Court after an initial stint in Delhi.

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