Pained by BJP betrayal, but ties intact: Sukhbir

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 27

The differences cropped up between the SAD and its alliance partner BJP over the induction of Haryana Akali MLA into the saffron party would not have its effect on the alliance in Punjab and Delhi. This was clarified by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today.

“After the BJP’s unethical move, we have decided to go solo in Haryana, but our alliance in Punjab and Delhi stays the same,” he said.

SGPC member Balkaur Singh was the lone MLA of the SAD in Haryana (Kalanwali reserved seat). He joined the saffron party yesterday.

Terming the development as unfortunate, Sukhbir said the SAD was the oldest ally of the BJP. “The BJP had made a commitment that it would contest the Haryana elections jointly with the SAD, while soliciting our support in the parliamentary elections. We supported them, but now they backtracked on their commitment, which is against the very principles of the coalition dharma,” he said.

Meanwhile taking on Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the SAD chief asked him to list major achievement of his government in the last more than two years. “Drug trafficking is on the increase because Congress legislators are patronising the mafia. The Chief Minister has been blaming the Union Government for rise in drug trafficking instead of taking concrete steps to end it,” he alleged.

On the recent seizure of arms airdropped through drones from Pakistan, he said, "Pakistan was desperate to revive terrorism in Punjab, which has been proved by the seizure of a drone along with arms and ammunition. Yet another serious issue was that the accused in this anti-national case were associated with Amritsar MP, who misused his position to shelter them. Keeping in view the national security aspect, the CM should intervene and there should not be any cover-up," he said.

‘Capt playing politics over sacrilege issue’

Chandigarh: Sukhbir Badal on Friday advised Captain Amarinder Singh to put a stop to his "daily flip-flops aimed at creating and prolonging confusion among the Sikh masses on the profoundly sensitive issue of the tragic sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib". He alleged that Amarinder only wanted to prolong this confusion till 2022 polls with the aim that the sacrilege issue dominated the political discourse in the state for full five years so that people's attention remained distracted from his failures and non-fulfillment of his promises. TNS