Amarinder must stop flirting with radicals

Interview/ Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of Shiromani Akali Dal

Sukhbir Singh Badal Sukhbir Singh Badal

YOU HAVE ALWAYS focused on state politics. What prompted you to contest the Lok Sabha elections?

Whatever the battle, I believe in leading from the front. That is the main reason for accepting the challenge of fighting the Amarinder [Singh] government during this elections.

What are the main issues put forward by your party?

One is that the country needs a clear-headed, strong and decisive prime minister, whom the country’s enemies fear and the world respects. Only Narendra Modiji fits that definition among the current crop of contestants. The other is to challenge Amarinder to make his two years of non-performance the key poll plank. He is not ready to accept my challenge.

There is a feeling that the Congress will perform better this time.

I certainly do not think so. In Punjab, they will be decimated.

How do you rate the Amarinder Singh government?

Not only is it the worst government but it is also the worst chief minister that Punjab has seen since independence. The government is in a state of utter paralysis. They have not started any development project or welfare measure. Most of the welfare schemes started by us have been shelved. People are feeling cheated because none of the promises they made in their manifesto has been fulfilled.

Many senior leaders have left the Shiromani Akali Dal. Has it dented your party’s chances?

None of those leaders have shown the courage to even contest the elections. You can make out the rest from this. They thought they were the Shiromani Akali Dal. The SAD is a people’s party. Only the people are supreme, not leaders.

Is the drug menace an issue now in Punjab?

We had brought the drug menace under check. You need to go and do a reality check now. Legislators of the ruling party and even their ministers are facing allegations of patronising drug lords.

The state has close cultural relations with Pakistan’s Punjab. How do you see the BJP’s aggressive anti-Pakistan stance?

The BJP governments have always gone the extra mile in seeking friendly ties with Pakistan. Remember A.B. Vajpayee sahib’s bus yatra? And, Modi sahib made an unscheduled trip to Pakistan. But you need a positive response from the other side for things to move forward. If that is not forthcoming, what do you expect? The country has to give a firm and resolute response if challenged.

The BJP has fielded Sunny Deol and Hardeep Singh Puri. Opponents say both of them are outsiders.

In Parliament elections, this outsider tag does not sell. Who is the Congress candidate against Sunny Deol? Sunil Jakhar. He, too, is an outsider. And, in Amritsar, Amarinder was an outsider when he contested, so was Navjot Singh Sidhu. Modi sahib won from Varanasi. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from the south [India].

There is a fear that terrorism might return to Punjab.

The fear arises out of the open support that the Congress chief minister lends to radicals, just because they are opposed to the SAD. But Punjabis are opposed to terrorism. Therefore, no one can destabilise Punjab. However, Amarinder must be stopped from playing his dangerous games of flirting with radicals.

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