Farmers Movement Archive

‘Cong hiding its failures behind farmers’ protest; alliance with BJP is gone forever’

After breaking ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiroman Akali Dal (SAD) leaders have been trying to rejuvenate the party at the local level amid claims by the rivals that party leaders are still hand in gloves with the saffron party at the centre and may join alliance ahead of 2021 assembly elections yet again. In an interview with Nidhi Bhardwaj, MLA Sahnewal and senior SAD leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon refuted all such claims. The former MP and the former cabinet minister in the previous SAD government maintained that the Congress has failed to fulfil its promises and carry out any development in the state and now was trying to cover up its failure while pretending to support farmers’ protest. He said Punjab assembly polls are not far away and people will give befitting reply to these parties. Edited excerpts: The opposition parties are saying SAD is supporting farmers protest just to hold its ground in Punjab politics? Your comments. We don’t want certificate from Congress or Aam Aadmi Party because what we are doing is for the welfare of the farmers not anybody else. The public is wise enough to take decision and very shortly time will come when people will give reply. Voters will reply to these political parties. BJP leaders are saying the break up of alliance will not affect them in elections. What do you have to say for that? We have heaved a sigh of relief after this break up because with we have gained our lost voters. The voters who were upset with the BJP are now happy and are ready to support us. SC vote bank was upset with the BJP but now it is with SAD. Similarly, urban Sikhs and even farmers do not trust the BJP and as we are now no longer associated with saffron party, these two sections are also with us. As far as seats are concerned, we have to find suitable candidates only for 23 seats, but BJP has to figure out candidates for 97 seats, which is not possible for them. There are speculations that for assembly polls, SAD and BJP will again come in alliance. Is this right? No, not at all. The alliance is gone forever. We are not going to come together again. After this break up, we have become strong. Both parties have parted ways. Akali Dal is the only party that has always stood for the welfare of farmers. We are the party of farmers so, how can we mislead them? We are taking up all important issues of the people, which I think is our role of being a political party. Why SAD maintained distance from protest in Delhi by Congress cabinet ministers and MLAs when purpose of both parties was similar — to create pressure on Union government to roll back farm ordinances? We did not maintain distance, we were the ones who raised the issue first of all. We tried our level best to make BJP leaders understand why farm ordinances are bad for farmers. When we failed to get through to them, breakup of the alliance was the only option. As far as protests are concerned, we are staging protests at our level and we are supporting farmers in their protests. We do not need to support Congress in their protests. What do you feel would be the issues in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, especially for Ludhiana? As soon as 2021 starts, the state will go into election mode. There are many issues but mostly this election will be fought on development — which the Congress failed miserably at. It is just to hide its own failures that the Congress is hiding behind the shield of farmers’ protests. The Congress did not give jobs to the unemployed, pensions were not distributed and financial status of the state is in pathetic condition. As far as Ludhiana is concerned, not even single work has been done by Congress government after coming into power and the projects that are going on come under smart city mission. So all these issues will be taken up one by one.

The Times of India

2020-11-10

Chandigarh