As the electioneering picks up pace in Punjab for the Lok Sabha polls, slated for June 1, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia has made a direct attack on the BJP and Prime Miniter Narendra Modi. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Mr. Majithia says Narendra Modi is more of a Prime Minister for Gujarat and has been adopting anti-Punjab policies to harm the State. He says the BJP’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ slogan is only lip service and on the paper, it is not in action, and adds that the minorities in India are facing persecution. Pointing out that the drug trade is flourishing under the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, he says that the government was playing politics on this issue instead of addressing the menace.
Excerpts from the interview:
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has been going through a rough patch as it faced electoral drubbings since the year 2017, how do you plan to bounce back?
If you talk about the number of seats, then yes, but it is not only us, all the major parties, the biggest party in the country — BJP — has also gone through a roughest patch. Their vote share is about 6.6% in Punjab. The Congress’s vote came down to around 22% (in 2022 Assembly polls) and yes we have also fallen back. But this was because the Aam Aadmi Party promised a change and people wanted to experiment with that change. But now people feel they have burnt their hands. The State’s debt has increased, the lives of people haven’t changed, and the promises made by AAP haven’t been met. There is distress in the farming community, and among the farm labourers, the employees, and the businessmen. Complete lawlessness is prevailing in Punjab. So people are turning back and I’m confident that this time round the peasantry, the farmers, and farm labourers will come back to Akali Dal.
SAD parted ways with the BJP on farm laws issue, later these farm laws were repealed, so what’s the problem in joining hands with the BJP now?
The farmers’ issues have not been settled at all. The farmer suicides are only increasing. The government of India promised to take care of farmer’s demands when it repealed the farm laws, but it has not fulfilled it yet. There is a lot of bad blood and anger against the BJP for the way they tried to crush the dissent during farm law agitation. The promise of providing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations has not been fulfilled. You can give a Bharat Ratna to Mr. M. S. Swaminathan but you throw his recommendations in the bin, it shows your attitude towards the farmers and the farm labourers. Amount worth crores of rupees have been waived off of the industry, but not of farmers and farm labourers. If their loans are waived the suicides will stop. Ten years of BJP rule has only given us inflation. Narendra Modi is more of a Prime Minister for Gujarat, his policies are based on promoting Gujarat and then the States that give him more number of MPs. For example, the bilateral trade through Attari-Wagah land route along the international border between India and Pakistan has come to a halt, causing a setback for many including porters, traders, custom house agents, and truckers among others, eventually hitting Punjab’s businesses. However, the trade is done with Pakistan and Afghanistan through sea routes through the ports, and Gujarat being the biggest beneficiary. They earn and they get employment, but Punjab is suffering. Today, Dubai has become a trade hub. If trade restarts from Amritsar through Attari-Wagah land route border, there would be an economic boom and employment generation. That booming trade of Amritsar has come to an end because of the BJP’s anti-Punjab policies, which are harming the border State.
SAD patron and former Chief Minister late Parkash Singh Badal always asserted that SAD-BJP alliance was not a political one, it was a guarantee for communal harmony. Against this backdrop is there any possibility of SAD-BJP coming together after the elections?
No, there’s no possibility and I am very clear. First, the issues of Punjab have to be addressed. This alliance that ‘Badal Saab’ spoke about was the alliance of Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Badal Saab coming together. Mr. Vajpayee earned a lot of love and respect as he was a very tolerant leader. Right now that tolerance level is missing. ‘Sabka Saath. Sabka Vikas’ is only lipservice and on paper, it is not in action. The minorities in India are facing persecution. They are being targeted. Interference in religious affairs was the story of the Congress. Late Prime Minister Indra Gandhi did it. Now the same thing is being done by the present BJP regime in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) affairs, by attempting to take control forcefully through government means. Through favours, through muscle and money power, all that is not going down well. Also, there’s the issue of Bandi Singhs (Sikh prisoners). Who are the Bandi Singhs? You have to understand one thing that they are people who stood up against the atrocities. They have been languishing in prisons for 20-30 years. Which rule in the world says that you can keep someone in incarceration for 28 to 30 years and still not release them, its a violation of human rights. All these issues have added up where we as Punjabis feel that we are being singled out, alienated and neglected being a border State.
Among the Congress, the AAP and the BJP, which according to you is a greater challenge for you in the polls?
Each seat is very differently placed. I don’t consider AAP as much of a challenge because they have lost serious ground. They are only hoping to ride on the fact that they are in government and they can browbeat people or they can induce people, but they have nothing to offer in the form of governance. The State is heading towards bankruptcy. The employees are not being paid salaries on time. But there is a tactical understanding between the Congress and AAP. They are together as an INDIA bloc partners. They are trying to fool people in Punjab by showing that they are against each other but the seats have been given by a tactical understanding and people are aware of that. Meanwhile, the BJP has nothing to offer. It has all turncoats and no ideology. People aren’t fools, they can see through all this.
What’s your take on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged excise policy-linked money laundering case?
Mr. Kejriwal has been exposed big time. He spoke about bringing in legislation regarding corruption — the Lokpal bill, what happened? It has fallen flat. Then he used to call Congress corrupt, but now is hugging Congress. It is the first party in India’s history to be made and accused in 75 years. He used to demand others to resign on allegations, but now he’s been behind bars yet he says I’m not guilty, the rules can’t be different. A person who talked about women’s security and women’s safety has gone silent on the alleged attack on Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at Delhi Chief Minister’s residence by his aide.
Drug menace continues to plague Punjab. The AAP when in opposition targeted you over the drug trade. What’s your take on the drug problem in the State?
As far as for me, that matter got well settled when in 2018, the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal tendered an apology for having levelled “unfounded” allegations related to involvement in the drug trade against me. So it was all about politics. But, what’s the situation now? Today the availability of drugs is easier and higher if you go to the villages. Why doesn’t Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann address the issue now? He used to hold the then governments responsible, so I guess he’s responsible now, he’s the Home Minister as well. The fact of the matter is that they (AAP) are only playing politics on this issue. The problem is there but the government of the day is not addressing the problem. And the problem is not only in Punjab, even in Gujarat, through sea route big consignments of drugs have come in. But here only vote bank politics was being played.
