For some, votes matter more than peace: Sukhbir Badal

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, May 18

SAD chief Sukhbir Badal on Saturday attacked the BJP for trying to indulge in polarisation and creating communal divide in Punjab.

Flanked by party leaders, including former chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Manjit Singh GK and former MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Badal said: “Some parties have taken elections to a new communal angle. For them, priority is garnering more votes and not the unity of country. If for 70 years mangalsutras have not been snatched, how can they be taken away now?”

He continued: “Ram Mandir is the centre of faith for people of all religions and not one religion. In Punjab, Sikhs to go to temples. Hindus go to gurdwaras. My advice to the leadership is that it should give enough space to all religious to grow and prosper.”

Attacking the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for meddling into the affairs of the Sikh community, the SAD president blamed it for starting “a dangerous trend by taking control of management of Takht Hazur Sahib in Nanded”. He said: “You have seen how the RSS has taken control in Nanded. Similar interference was done in Takht Patna Sahib and even in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. But we shall take back the control of all our religious institutions.”

“A vicious conspiracy was at work to destroy the peace in the state to justify a return to police repression. An atmosphere is being created with the help of provocative slogans through some stooges and paid pipers,” hinting that Amritpal Singh had been propped up.

‘Delhi wale bhajao, Punjab bachao’

A close perusal of the copy of the manifesto of SAD showed that the party had attacked the BJP even pictorially. It has a picture with representation of PM Narendra Modi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal from their back. The caption on the page reads, “Delhi wale bhajao, Punjab bachao”.