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SAD is playing second fiddle to BJP in Punjab: Tohra
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is ``playing second fiddle`` to its alliance partner Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) which is ``actually`` ruling Punjab, says senior Akali leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is ''playing
second fiddle'' to its alliance partner Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
which is ''actually'' ruling Punjab, says senior Akali leader
Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
Mr Tohra, who is president of the rival Sarab Hind Shiromani
Akali Dal (SHSAD), told journalists ion New Delhi on Thursday the BJP had succeeded
in pushing its own agenda, ''sidelining Sikh and Punjabi
interests in numerous issues taken up by the SAD''.
''Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal succumbed to BJP pressure to abandon the Akali stand on the Udham Singh Nagar issue, reverse his government's decision to submit a memorandum to the constitution review panel and appoint a number of BJP men heads of several important city improvement trusts in the state,'' Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, SHSAD general secretary said. Echoing Mr Chandumajra's views, Mr Tohra said the development work of important cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Barnala and Batala had been virtually handed over to the BJP.
''The use of Hindi is now being preferred to the state's official language Punjabi by most BJP office-bearers as one can, for instance, easily spot Hindi nameplates outside Amritsar mayor's and improvement trust chairman's workplace,'' Mr Tohra said. He alleged that the BJP wanted to rule Punjab not as natives of the state but as an extended arm of the Centre. ''This perception made BJP cabinet ministers disagree with the Akali demand for more powers to states and federalising the country's polity, forcing Mr Badal forgo his public commitment on presenting a memorandum on constitution review on behalf of his government.''
In this connection, added Mr Chandumajra, the Punjab government ''wasted a lot of funds and time on drafting the memorandum by an expert committee that held a series of meetings under the chairmanship of Mr Badal himself.'' The Badal government had also failed to pursue the centre to announce a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy which should have been declared two months before at the time of the crop sowing.
Besides, the Centre had made no commitments to procure paddy from farmers in the state, but was rather ''forcing private millers to purchase the produce from mandis despite the fact half of mills are already in the red,'' he added.
Bureau Report
''Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal succumbed to BJP pressure to abandon the Akali stand on the Udham Singh Nagar issue, reverse his government's decision to submit a memorandum to the constitution review panel and appoint a number of BJP men heads of several important city improvement trusts in the state,'' Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, SHSAD general secretary said. Echoing Mr Chandumajra's views, Mr Tohra said the development work of important cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bhatinda, Barnala and Batala had been virtually handed over to the BJP.
''The use of Hindi is now being preferred to the state's official language Punjabi by most BJP office-bearers as one can, for instance, easily spot Hindi nameplates outside Amritsar mayor's and improvement trust chairman's workplace,'' Mr Tohra said. He alleged that the BJP wanted to rule Punjab not as natives of the state but as an extended arm of the Centre. ''This perception made BJP cabinet ministers disagree with the Akali demand for more powers to states and federalising the country's polity, forcing Mr Badal forgo his public commitment on presenting a memorandum on constitution review on behalf of his government.''
In this connection, added Mr Chandumajra, the Punjab government ''wasted a lot of funds and time on drafting the memorandum by an expert committee that held a series of meetings under the chairmanship of Mr Badal himself.'' The Badal government had also failed to pursue the centre to announce a minimum support price (MSP) for paddy which should have been declared two months before at the time of the crop sowing.
Besides, the Centre had made no commitments to procure paddy from farmers in the state, but was rather ''forcing private millers to purchase the produce from mandis despite the fact half of mills are already in the red,'' he added.
Bureau Report