Change Punjab approach: Jakhar to Modi
Known for speaking his mind, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar is learnt to have told Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that there was a need to change the BJP’s and Centre’s approach to issues concerning the state. He also said sentimental matters involving Punjabis must be addressed on priority.
In his recent meetings with the PM and Shah here, Jakhar is learnt to have conveyed his intention not to continue as the state chief citing inability to bring about changes in the party’s and Centre’s outlook towards the state.
“Nazariya badalney ki zaroorat hai, nazaarey apney aap badal jayenge (It is important to change the outlook towards Punjab, the situation will change on its own),” Jakhar is learnt to have told the top BJP brass pressing for urgent redressal of farmers’ issues and review of current strategy to grant frequent paroles to rape and murder convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Jakhar has long demanded the Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s interrogation in the 2015 sacrilege case. Jakhar is also learnt to have said to the party leadership to give autonomy and authority to “whoever is the new Punjab BJP president”.
Leaders in the know of things whom The Tribune spoke to about factors behind Jakhar seeking to step down as the state chief said it was a culmination of multiple triggers. These included neglect of his advice on key matters involving policy and elections and eventually keeping him out of even contention during discussions on a minister nominee from Punjab.
The Tribune has learnt that the first trigger for Jakhar came in February when he was not kept in the loop about the meeting ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, Nityanand Rai and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann held with farmer representatives in Chandigarh.
The same day as the ministers met farmers, a parallel BJP meeting was underway in Chandigarh. At this meeting attended by senior RSS functionaries, Jakhar had objected to not being informed about the farmers’ meeting.
Paroles to Gurmeet Ram Rahim have been another issue of disagreement between him and the party, with sources citing Jakhar’s public position to probe Ram Rahim in the highly sentimental issue involving sacrilege cases.
“When Gurmeet Ram Rahim is granted parole, the state chief has to answer to the people of Punjab. His position becomes untenable,” a leader said about Jakhar’s stand on the issue.
Differences of opinion between Jakhar and BJP leaders also arose during the Lok Sabha poll. The top BJP brass wanted Jakhar to contest elections and offered him Ferozepur, Gurdaspur or Ludhiana seat but he declined. Later, the BJP chose not to ally with the Shiromani Akali Dal despite Jakhar’s vociferous support to the pact. Finally, in Jakhar’s home seat of Ferozepur, the party fielded Rana Sodhi against his advice. Jakhar had suggested Raminder Singh Amla.
Sources told TNS that the final straw came when the central BJP leadership “did not consider Jakhar even during discussions on ministers from Punjab”.
“Manpreet Badal, Satnam Singh Sandhu, Rana Sodhi, Ravneet Bittu were considered but not Jakhar, perhaps because he is a non-Sikh. It was this very issue — the lack of turban — that kept him away from the CM-ship in Punjab even though he had won maximum MLA support in the Congress after Capt Amarinder Singh was dropped,” a source said, adding that Jakhar had also red flagged other decisions of the Centre pertaining to Punjab which he did not agree with.
These included an offer of 10-acre land to Haryana in Chandigarh to build a Vidhan Sabha (a move he thought would dilute Punjab’s claim on capital Chandigarh); rise in central share of officers in the Chandigarh administration leading to reduction in the share of officers from Punjab and tweaking the membership of Bhakra Beas Management Board to Punjab’s disadvantage.
