It has been proven that BJP was the big brother, says Jakhar

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, June 27

Lashing out against the Akali Dal after the recent rebellion within the party, the BJP state president, Sunil Jakhar, said today that it’s been proven that the BJP was the big brother (in the former SAD-BJP alliance government of the state) and the Akali Dal has flopped. He said it’s time for Sukhbir Badal to mend his ways.

Speaking to The Tribune on the side-lines of a press conference, Jakhar, while asked about the rebellion within the SAD, said, “It’s the people’s message; they have performed this operation, which you might call cutting the SAD to size. Sukhbir is not willing to read the writing on the wall. Whatever he faces today is because he has not been able to deliver what is expected of him. This is what Chandumajra, Bibi Jagir Kaur, and Dhindsa expected and were worried about: that without the help of the BJP, Sukhbir Badal would not be able to win any seats. The Akali Dal has totally flopped. Now it is up to Sukhbir Badal to carry along the party. This charade of ‘Bara bhai-chota bhai’ (small brother-big brother) syndrome has been proven. If there was any bara bhai, it seems to be the BJP. We have more votes than Akali Dal. Rather than introspecting, he’s putting the blame on the BJP, which no one’s going to accept. Instead of blaming others, he needs to mend his ways.’

Speaking of the vacuum created by a weakened Akali Dal, Jakhar said, “It’s not weakening; it’s the loss of the credibility of the leadership. Akali Dal is a representative of the panth political wing, and it does not depend on political numbers. It is the credibility of the leaders that has been going down. At first, the SGPC lost credibility to the point that no one takes them seriously anymore. There was a time when the PM would have been happy to meet the SGPC president; however, now the SDMs do not give them appointments.”

Speaking about the BJP’s space in the scenario, Jakhar said, “The BJP is angling that we are going to be a serious player in Punjab. In 2027, we’ll do better than 19 per cent, as we are looking for 40 per cent. We will address all these issues, fears, and anxieties, as the country belongs to everyone. In India, everyone has equal rights.”