Farmers Movement Archive

SAD again accuses Punjab BJP of polarising Hindus against Sikhs

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has alleged that Punjab BJP unit had been polarising Hindus against Sikhs and it should ask its high command why it had abandoned the core principles of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which would only vitiate peace and communal harmony in the state. SAD functionary Prem Singh Chandumajra “expressed shock at the irresponsible statements” of few Amritsar-based BJP leaders stating that they had parroted lines as per the script handed over to them. “They are gearing up to make one brother fight against another solely to get a foothold after being overwhelmingly rejected by the people following the enactment of the three agricultural Acts,” said the former MP . He asked the Punjab BJP leaders of instead of spewing venom against SAD, ask the Centre why it had taken an “anti-farmer and anti-peasant line”. “Why is the new BJP toeing the line of the corporate sector? Why did it frame legislation without even consulting the stakeholders and why it is bent on giving a ‘gift’ which farmers don’t want,” he questioned. Chandumajra advised Amritsar-based BJP men that Punjab had passed through more than a decade of turmoil in the past and they should not lay the foundation for another such spell. He added that it was the BJP which assured that all grievances would be addressed but instead of doing so it bulldozed the farm Bills through Parliament. Reacting to the attack of BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Chandumajra said the SAD chief had “only called a spade a spade”. He also asked BJP to tell Punjabis whether it had systematically targeted its opponents as separatists and even invented epithets like “tukde tukde gang” for them. “You have pitted Hindus against Muslims. You have labelled peacefully protesting farmers as Khalistanis. Now you are pitting Hindus against Sikhs in Punjab,” he alleged again.

The Times of India

2020-12-18

Chandigarh