Tag: Sukhbir Badal

Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann Slam Centre for Introducing Electricity Amendment Bill

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the Bill is an attack on the constitutional rights of the states.

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday termed the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act as “dangerous” and urged the Union government not to go ahead with it in haste, claiming that it will only benefit a few power distribution companies.

He said the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2022 will increase the suffering of the people as it will make problems associated with power supply and distribution more serious instead of addressing it.

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 to allow non-discriminatory open access to distribution networks of power suppliers was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the government on Monday amid protests by the opposition, which claimed that it seeks to take away certain rights of state governments.

“The Electricity Amendment Bill is being brought in Lok Sabha today. This law is very dangerous,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

“This will make the electricity problem more serious, instead of addressing it. People’s suffering will increase. Only a few companies will benefit. I appeal to the Centre to not bring this (Bill) in haste,” he added.

The AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Sandeep Pathak said it is “very unfortunate” that the Union government is going ahead with the Bill in the Lok Sabha after reneging on its own point.

“It is an attack on the rights of the state and also an attack on the federal structure of the country,” he charged in a tweet in Hindi.

He said the state has an equal right to make laws in the matters pertaining to electricity.

“But, the Union government has not sought the opinion of any state on this Bill,” he alleged.

“The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opposes this,” he added.

Another AAP leader, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also slammed the move to introduce the Bill, saying it was an attack on the constitutional rights of the states. He accused the Union government of weakening the foundations of the federal structure through such “nefarious designs”.

He said the Union government should not consider the states as puppets. “The states will not sit silently against this attempt of the government of India to dilute the federal spirit of our democracy,” Mann said in a statement issued here.

The Union government should have consulted the states before introducing any Bill related to the power sector, the Punjab chief minister said.

“Instead, this Bill is being imposed on the states, which is a direct attack on the federal structure,” he charged.

Questioning the BJP-led government’s intent, Mann said when the states provide electricity to people on their own, then why their feedback was not sought before the Bill was introduced in parliament.

Citing the example of Punjab, he said farmers in the state are being given free electricity for agriculture purposes.

“Likewise, free power supply is also being provided to domestic consumers and if the Centre is amending the Electricity Act as per its own conditions, the farmers and other sections will get a big blow as states like Punjab will not be able to continue such pro-people initiatives,” he said.

It should not repeat the mistake of implementing the three farm laws, he added.

Several organisations have raised objections to the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, 2003.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) chairman Shailendra Dubey sought his intervention in the matter and appealed to him to refer the bull to the Standing Committee of Parliament for a detailed discussion with all the stakeholders.

The Bill seeks to create competition in the power distribution (retail) segment. It proposes that a discom can use another power distribution licensee’s network.

The Bill also seeks to strengthen the payment security mechanism and give more powers to regulators.

“It has become necessary to strengthen the regulatory mechanism, adjudicatory mechanism in the Act and to bring administrative reforms through improved corporate governance of distribution licensees,” states the Bill.

“The continuing as well as new challenges of sustainability of the power sector, contract enforcement, payment security mechanism, energy transition and the need to provide choice (of multiple service providers) to consumers in order to promote competition and the like, it has become necessary to make certain amendments in the Electricity Act”, it says.

The Bill seeks to amend section 42 of the Act to facilitate non-discriminatory open access to the distribution network of a distribution licensee.

Further, the Bill seeks to amend section 14 of the Act to facilitate the use of distribution networks by all licensees under provisions of non-discriminatory open access with the objective of enabling competition, enhancing the efficiency of distribution licensees for improving services and ensuring the sustainability of the power sector.

On Sunday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to allow for widespread consultation with all stakeholders including the states, farmers and farm unions.

He had said when the Union government decided to repeal the three farm laws on December 9, 2021, it had assured that it would not go ahead with enacting the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 without holding prior consultation with all stakeholders including the states, political parties, farmers and farmer associations.

(With PTI inputs)

Punjab Elections: Allegations of ‘Dynasty Politics’ Continue to Dog Badals and SAD

With several members of the family in the fray this time, the outcome may have a telling effect on the SAD’s future.

Jalandhar: At a rally in Nawanshahr district on February 8, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati lauded former the patriarch of her alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Parkash Singh Badal for his seva bhav (will to serve) at the ripe age of 94.

Mayawati said, “Parkash Singh Badal was chief minsiter of Punjab many times. He may be old now but his desire to serve the people is still there. This is the reason why he is also contesting the election. Both Sukhbir Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal are also working hard to ensure the victory of the SAD-BSP alliance.”

While Mayawati’s words may resonate with SAD leaders, there is a section of voters that feels the party has been reduced to Badal’s fiefdom, raising questions over dynasty politics. The Badal family has been facing this allegation for the past over one decade, particularly after coming to power in 2007.

Ahead of the February 20 assembly polls, the family continues to face this allegation – this time, even more members of the Badal family are in the fray.

While Parkash Badal is contesting from the Lambi seat in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, his son Sukhbir is contesting from Jalalabad in Fazilka. Bikram Singh Majithia, who is Sukhbir’s brother-in-law, is contesting from the Amritsar East constituency while his wife, debutant Ganieve Kaur, is contesting from her husband’s home turf, the Majitha assembly segment.

Parkash Singh Badal’s son-in-law Adesh Partap Singh Kairon is contesting from the Patti assembly seat in the Tarn Taran district. Kairon is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Partap Singh Kairon and has earlier served as a cabinet minister.

On the other hand, Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is a three-time MP from Bathinda. She was serving as a Union minister in the Narendra Modi government but resigned in 2020 over the now-repealed three farm laws.

Recently, Sukhbir Badal’s daughter and son also campaigned for their father in Jalalabad, which evoked a sharp reaction not only from his rivals but voters too. While AAP candidate Jagdeep Kamboj raised allegations of ‘dynasty politics’ in his speeches, voters say, “Our children are unemployed. A third general of Badals is here to rule us.”

Kirtan Singh, a truck driver from Sultanwind in Amritsar, also took a dig at the Badals and said, “They have bahumat (majority) in the SAD, what else can one expect from them? SAD is no more a party of principles rather an apt example of dynasty rule. This is why it was reduced to third position in 2017. But they have not learnt any lesson.”

“If Bikram Majithia had decided to contest from Amritsar East, he could have fielded a party worker from Majitha. But his wife was chosen instead,” said Amrik Singh, a farmer from Dhilwan in Kapurthala district.

Another elderly man, Karamjit Singh from Nawanshahr Grain market, said, “The SAD has become the ‘Jagir’ of Badals, which is an injustice to the glorious past of the Akalis. They should understand that this is one of the reasons why many SAD veterans have left the party in the past few years.”

Former SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, now the leader of SAD (Sanyukt) that is contesting elections in an alliance with the BJP and Amarinder’s Punjab Lok Congress, has also attacked the Badals. During Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Jalandhar on February 14, Dhindsa said in his address, “The SAD is confined to ‘Badal-Akali Dal’. They are campaigning with money amassed through illegal means.”

In 2019, Dhindsa had called for the SAD to be “liberated” from the control of the Badal family. He and several other veteran leaders had quit the party at that time.

It is pertinent to mention here that the SAD still carries the baggage of the 2015 sacrilege incidents and Behbal Kalan firing case, increase in the drug trade, and allegations of mafia involvement in sand mining and transport. These issues weighed on the party in the 2017 assembly elections, when it won just 15 seats. It is trying to reinvigorate itself.

‘People’s trust’

In an interview with BBC Punjabi, Sukhbir Singh Badal responded to these allegations by saying, “It is the people who decide who to elect. If this is such an issue, then why did people make Parkash Singh Badal CM five times? It is trust.”

Reacting to allegations of dynasty politics, the SAD candidate from Adampur in Jalandhar district Pawan Kumar Tinu said, “Every movement or political party revolves around a particular face. Even BSP’s politics was confined to Kanshi Ram. Similarly, Parkash Singh Badal has made immense contributions to Punjab’s development and the SAD. People made him CM for a record five times and believe in SAD.”

However, on Bikram Majithia’s wife stepping in poll fray, Tinu said, “Bikram’s wife Ganieve Kaur is contesting due to compulsion. As Navjot Singh Sidhu had challenged Bikram Majithia to contest from Amritsar East seat, she was fielded. There is nothing wrong with it.”

Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Bibi Jagir Kaur, who is contesting from the Bholath seat of Kapurthala district defended the Badal family and said, “The Badal family is important not just for the SAD but for Punjab too. People have faith in them. Since Sidhu is challenging the SAD leadership, they had to step in. In fact, nobody else other than Parkash Singh Badal can run Punjab.”

The SAD candidate from the Khemkaran seat on the Indo-Pak border, Virsa Singh Valtoha also supported the Badals and said, “Candidates are fielded on winnability. When Sidhu challenged Bikram Majithia, he decided to take him head on. Even my entire family is campaigning for me. Now, Badal’s third generation is also ready. There is nothing wrong. It is their responsibility to perform. Let’s not forget that ultimately you get votes by seeking them.”

Bahujan Samajwadi Party president Mayawati during an election rally in Lucknow, February 16, 2022. Photo: PTI/ Nand Kumar

Image reinforced, say analysts

Talking to The Wire, Chandigarh-based journalist and author Jagtar Singh said that with the entire Badal family contesting, the perception of SAD being synonymous with the Badals has been reinforced.

“A party with a glorious history has become synonymous with Badals. It used to be a panthic (dedicated to Sikh affairs) party but not anymore. The fact that it is a family-run party cannot be overlooked,” he said.

The journalist said the outcome of these polls will decide the future of Akalis. “In case the SAD fails to come to power, the Badal family’s control will be questioned. Though the party will continue, it will certainly lead to leadership change. On the other hand, if they win, the family’s hold will continue,” he added.

It is also important to note that the SAD is contesting elections without the BJP’s support. The alliance garnered both Sikh and Hindu votes but now the SAD will have to prove that they enjoy the support of Hindu voters – many of whom are traders or involved in business activities.

By allying with the BSP, the party hopes to make inroads among Dalit communities in Punjab, particularly in the Doaba region. The SAD-BSP will hope for a repeat of the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, when the alliance won 11 of the state’s 13 parliamentary seats.

Political Storm in Punjab as SAD Leader Named in Drugs Case Ahead of Assembly Polls

The opposition party accused the Congress government of “political vendetta” after Bikram Singh Majithia was on Monday named in a drugs case.

Jalandhar: Barely weeks before the enforcement of the model code of conduct, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia was on Monday named in a drugs case, with the opposition party accusing the Congress of “political vendetta”.

A first information report (FIR) was lodged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against Majithia by the Punjab Bureau of Investigation in Mohali on the evening of December 20.

According to The Tribune, the FIR accuses Majihtia of “knowingly allowing drug smuggling through use of his property or conveyance, financing the distribution or sale of drugs and hatching a criminal conspiracy for smuggling”.

Wrestler-turned-cop and alleged drug lord Jagdish Bhola accused Majithia of involvement in the drug trade in January 2014. This allowed the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to mount attacks on the SAD-BJP government. As the next election is on the horizon, the drug racket remains a key political issue.

During Amarinder Singh’s tenure as chief minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu, MLA Pargat Singh, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and others had been demanding the arrest of the “big fish” involved in the drug trade.

Amarinder’s unceremonious exit from the post of CM in September this year was attributed to his failure to act against the drug mafia and address the cases of sacrilege. Even after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as chief minister, Sidhu – as Punjab Congress president – has continued to pressure the government.

Notably, on November 18, Bikram Majithia had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court, pleading that he be made party to the Jagdish Bhola drug racket case. Majithia said he was being targeted by political opponents and his image was getting tarnished.

History of the multi-crore drugs case

The drugs case dates back to 2012, when the Punjab police busted a drug racket in Fatehgarh Sahib district and UK-based NRI Anoop Kahlon was arrested. The police seized 26 kilograms of synthetic drugs from his house in Zirakpur in Mohali.

In 2013, boxer-turned-cop Ram Singh was arrested. During the investigation, he named Jagdish Bhola, after which he was dismissed from his job in 2013. Bhola was arrested for smuggling pseudoephedrine, a synthetic drug, from India to various countries including the UK, Canada, New Zealand and others in the multi-crore drugs case.

Later that year, SAD leader Maninder Singh Bittu Aulakh and businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal were also arrested.

The big twist and political storm in the drugs case came on January 9, 2014, when druglord Bhola, while being taken for hearing at a Mohali court, accused then Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia of involvement in the racket.

With this, the opposition Congress and AAP started attacking the SAD and BJP.

The government, however, gave a clean chit to Majithia. But another senior Akali leader – Sarwan Singh Phillaur, whose name had also appeared in the racket – was forced to quit the party.

In June 2014, the Patiala police arrested the businessman Chuni Lal Gaba hailing from the Goraya town in Jalandhar. After Gaba’s arrest, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also started probing money laundering linked to drugs. The ED officials summoned SAD, BJP, Congress leaders and the heads of various bodies.

By the end of 2014, the SAD-BJP government had come under acute pressure and on December 26, 2014, Majithia appeared before the ED in Jalandhar.

The drug racket emerged as a major poll issue in 2017. Both the Congress and AAP accused the SAD-BJP of pushing Punjab’s youth towards drugs, ruining lives and livelihood. The Congress won the elections with a clear majority.

Amarinder Singh formed a Special Task Force (STF) to probe the drugs mafia in March 2017.

A year later, the Punjab government handed over its report to the high court in a sealed envelope.

In February 2019, Jagdish Bhola and 19 others were sentenced to jail.

And on December 21, 2021, an FIR was lodged against Bikram Singh Majithia.

Representative image of Punjab police. Photo: PTI

Sidhu hails move, Badals say ‘political vendetta’

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu hailed the FIR against Majithia. He said that after “credible officers” have been placed in positions of power and influence, “the first step has been taken”. For five-and-a-half years, the “corrupt system” run by the Badal family and Amarinder Singh did not take action against the SAD MLA, he claimed.

Meanwhile, SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal told mediapersons at Muktsar the chief minister’s duty is “not to be revengeful but to serve the people”. He said SAD was expected that Majithia would be named in the FIR. “They have changed three DGPs just to arrest Badals and Majithia, weaken the SAD and Punjab. Leave me, they had even registered a case against my wife… We will fight the battle,” he said.

Earlier, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had at various political rallies claimed that Channi was forcing senior police officers to register false cases against his party leaders, including him and Majithia. Sukhbir, who was at Amritsar on Tuesday morning, said, “The FIR against Majithia was nothing but a panic reaction by the Congress to gain votes. We will fight a legal battle against it.”

AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema said that the STF report is lying with the Punjab government for more than four years. “There was no stay by the Punjab and Haryana high court on the STF report. But not taking action on the report and keeping mum on the drug issue indicates that the Congress government was trying to save the big drug lords in this case,” Cheema, the leader of opposition in the assembly said.

He accused Amarinder Singh of siding with drug lords, adding that taking action against an opposition leader days before the enforcement of the model code of conduct is simply “political drama”. By now, trials should have been completed, the APP leader said.

Ousted SAD leader Sarwan Singh Phillaur’s son Damanvir Singh, who also faced an ED investigation, said, “Der aye durust aye. Law should be the same for all. The police have merely registered an FIR against Bikram Singh Majithia.” He said Majithia should join the police probe.

Ferozepur: Two SAD Leaders Named in FIR for SUV ‘Attack’ on Farmers, No Arrests Yet

Farmer leader Harnek Singh Mehma, based on whose complaint the FIR was registered, claimed that the attack resulted in “another Lakhimpur-like incident”.

New Delhi: Two Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders and their driver were named in an FIR registered by police in Ferozepur, where a group of farmers accused them of attacking them with a car. Among the sections that have been invoked in the case are attempt to murder, rash driving or riding on a public way of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Arms Act.

According to Indian Express, those who have been named are SAD leader Vardev Singh Nonni Mann, who is the party’s candidate from the Guruharsahai constituency for the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab, his driver; Gurvinder Singh, who was driving the SUV; and former SAD Ferozepur Rural MLA Joginder Singh Jindu. However, no arrests have been made so far.

The FIR was registered after 32 farmers’ unions, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), staged a dharna outside the senior superintendent of police (SSP)’s office on Thursday morning.

The farmers had claimed that the SUV had sped away while two farmer leaders were sitting on its bonnet and that some rounds were also fired. The incident happened when former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had arrived in Ferozepur for campaigning. She and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal had accused ‘Congress-backed goons’ of attacking their party leaders.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Harnek Singh Mehma, the district president of BKU (Dakaunda), who was one of the persons sitting on the bonnet, according to Indian Express.

The newspaper reported that Mehma’s complaint said that 10-15 farmer leaders had gathered near the blind school in Ferozepur, where Harsimrat Kaur Badal had come. They had informed the police of their plan to question her, about SAD’s plan for the farmers and masses, and the police had given permission for 10-15 persons to arrive at the spot.

“…but when we reached at the spot, Akalis were there in hundreds and they tried to overpower us. We waited till 4:30 pm, but when Harsimrat evaded our questions and left the venue, we stopped the SUV of Vardev Mann and to our surprise, they started driving the vehicle while I and Lovepreet Singh (another farmer from Karma village) were sitting on [the] bonnet. They had to stop the vehicle near Dev Samaj College due to traffic congestion and hence our lives were saved. They almost made it another Lakhimpur-like incident,” the complaint says.

According to Indian Express, SAD workers themselves attacked the SUV and damaged it and later “concocted a false story”. Mehma claimed that while he was on the bonnet, three rounds were fired by Nonni Mann and another four by his gunman. “However, we were saved due to sheer luck,” he said.

The SAD did not file any written complaint with the Ferozepur police as of Thursday, the newspaper said.

Kaur Badal’s programmes cancelled

In a related development, Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s scheduled visits to Mansa city, Jhunir, Bhikhi areas of Mansa district on Thursday were cancelled amid protests by farmer unions. The unions gathered at these spots well in advance to oppose her visit, forcing the former Union minister to cancel her programmes.

Manjit Singh Dhaner, the senior vice president of BKU (Dakaunda), told Indian Express that the farmers’ unions have decided to continue to boycott politicians in villages. “But after Wednesday’s incident, we will oppose Akali Dal’s programmes and will not allow their leaders to enter villages till the arrests are not made,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)

Did Inaction Against the Badals Lead to Amarinder Singh’s Unceremonious Exit?

Amarinder Singh’s failure to fulfil his poll promises was seen as his way of going easy on the family that heads the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Jalandhar: At a village bus stop on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh road a month ago, a group of people were discussing Punjab politics. They had a common grudge against the former Punjab chief minister, Amarinder Singh: “Captain ne kuch nahi kita (Captain didn’t do anything).” In a conversation reminiscent of many others in the state, they talked about drugs ruining the youth, no action in sacrilege cases and the high power tariff.

Supporting these observations, people in a Bathinda village recently held a rally against drugs, saying that nearly 200 youth from their village, Jhumba, had fallen prey to ‘chitta’ (synthetically produced drugs).

Before discussing anything further, the elderly men comprising shopkeepers, retired employees and villagers said, “Captain Akaliya naal milya hoya, ehne kuch nahi karna (Captain is hand-in-glove with the Akalis, he will not do anything).”

Jagseer Singh from Jhumba village said that people were frustrated with Amarinder’s functioning, which was why he was ousted. “Do you know chitta is available in every village in Bathinda? Leave aside illegal suppliers, even small kirana (grocery) shops are selling drugs. People had high hopes from Amarinder but he ruined them. His inaction over the drugs mafia, the deeply emotional issue of sacrilege, sand mining and Badal-family-owned transport ‘Orbit Buses’ clearly proved that he was saving them [the Badal family],” he said.

He lashed out at Congress and said that when they realised that the anger against Amarinder might cost them dearly, they appointed a Dalit chief minister to seek SC votes. “The entire Congress is to be blamed for not doing anything in the last 4.5 years,” he added.

Even Amarinder’s statement at his last rally in Chabbewal constituency in Hoshiarpur district on September 13 – that farmers’ unions should shift their protests from Punjab to Delhi and Haryana – went against him. The former chief minister had said that farmers were holding protests at 113 places in Punjab, which was affecting the state’s economy. Though Amarinder issued a press statement clarifying his stand the very next day, the damage was done.

Since it was SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal who was facing massive protests by farmers in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly polls, Amarinder’s statement not just angered the farmers’ union leaders, but also the public at large. In fact, following protests, Sukhbir Badal had been forced to suspend his poll outreach campaign titled ‘Gal Punjab Di’, where he was to visit 100 constituencies in 100 days.

People were suspicious that Amarinder was trying to favour not just SAD but its erstwhile alliance partner BJP, which was facing public wrath following the farm laws. It is pertinent to mention here that SAD had quit the BJP-led NDA government in the wake of three farm laws passed last year.

A Congress leader requesting anonymity said that the farmers’ protest would not have been a success had Amarinder not allowed them to move towards Delhi on November 26, 2020. “Even farmers’ union leaders respected him on his stand on the farm laws, but this statement asking farmers to shift their protests to Delhi was misconstrued. Leave the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), even farmers’ unions and people pointed out that Amarinder was favouring SAD and toeing the Modi government’s line. Some also felt that he was trying to create a divide between the traders’ community and farmers, hence polarising Hindu and Sikh voters,” he lamented.

Also read: ‘Dummy CM’ or Canny Politics?: As Channi Takes Oath, Din Over Choice Stays Alive

An ex-sarpanch from Kishangarh village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway, Harsalinder Singh, asked, “What was the need for Amarinder to take oath by holding the Gutka Sahib to wipe out drugs from Punjab? He touched on a sensitive issue without caring that drugs have severely affected people’s lives and livelihoods. Everybody knows why Amarinder didn’t fulfil such crucial poll promises. He was trying to save the Badals and that led to his ouster from the Congress,” he said.

He also said that SAD thinks that by announcing an alliance with the BSP for Punjab assembly elections 2022, they will come to power. “SAD should be ashamed of its actions. Recently, they held a rally from Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib in Delhi, which is nothing but a desperate attempt to win farmers’ sympathy, divide farmers’ protest and win polls. At every rally, Sukhbir Badal says that he will get the farm laws repealed – but what was he doing when the farm laws were passed in the parliament? They were rather promoting them. Punjab and its agrarian economy are nobody’s concern. And Congress and SAD think that they have the right to rule Punjab after every five years, by turn,” he added.

Even traders and shopkeepers in Punjab from the Hindu community said that people knew that Amarinder and Sidhu would not be able to pull along for a long time and either of the two will quit.

Amritsar-based plywood trader Rajinder Sharma said that if Amarinder was not performing, then why was the Congress silent all these years? “Removing Amarinder at the fag end of his tenure is nothing but a political stunt by the Congress. This oft-repeated rant that Amarinder was hand-in-glove with the Akalis is a sham. If it was so, then why did SAD lose miserably in the 2017 assembly elections? Congress should stop fooling voters,” he said.

Congress leaders hint at major action

Requesting anonymity, a Congress leader hinted at big action in the next three months – justice in the much-awaited drugs and sacrilege cases, cancellation of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), thereby easing the burden of power tariff on voters, and investigation into the post-matric SC scholarship scam.

“Contrary to public perception, this is not a sudden reshuffle. Rather, it is a planned one with a roadmap to win the assembly polls. Congress has an 18-point agenda to fulfil before polls. Even if justice is done in two of the main issues of drugs and sacrilege, Congress will be on a strong wicket,” he said.

Interestingly, even Congress workers admit that this is one of the biggest gambles the party could have played. “By appointing a Dalit chief minister, a Jatt Sikh and a Hindu deputy chief minister, Congress was likely to gain. The old guard has been dusted. This is Rahul Gandhi’s team, where a common worker will get a chance to rise. Earlier people had to trace links to approach the government, that too after 12 noon. Now, anybody can get their work done,” said Manoj Manu, a Youth Congress leader and caterer from Jalandhar.

Also read: Watching the Fall of a Regional Satrap in Punjab

However, the SAD-BSP candidate from the Kartarpur reserve assembly seat, Balwinder Kumar, said that it took 74 years for the Congress to appoint a Dalit chief minister in the country. “It is old wine in a new bottle. First Amarinder didn’t perform and now to hide his failures, the Congress has played Dalit card. But this will not yield them any results. The Congress didn’t appoint a single Dalit leader – particularly Adi-dharmi or Valmikis from the Doaba region – as a minister or official in a prominent position in Punjab. Dalits will rather support SAD-BSP alliance,” he said.

‘Amarinder let down his supporters’

BBC Punjabi senior journalist Pal Singh Nauli said that people voted Amarinder to power considering his decisive role as the Punjab chief minister from 2002 to 2007. In 2002, Amarinder targeted the Badals over the corruption issue and took a stand over the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal row.

“People voted Amarinder to power in 2017 believing in his capabilities to take strict action against the Badals in drugs and sacrilege cases. But neither has he performed, nor has he let other leaders perform. Amarinder remained inaccessible not just to the public but his ministers and MLAs too. He didn’t come out of his farm house while bureaucrats were told to run the government,” he said.

He also pointed out that how Amarinder ousted the previous Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) presidents. “Look at Amarinder’s functioning, he remained at loggerheads with all former PPCC presidents including Dalit leaders Shamsher Singh Dullo and Mohinder Singh Kaypee. He also ousted Jatt Sikh leader Partap Singh Bajwa and targeted Hindu leader Sunil Jakhar. In 2009, Kaypee had even termed Amarinder as ‘anti-Dalit’ and accused him of meddling in his work, leading to political turmoil. The only exception was H.S. Hanspal, with whom he somehow managed,” he added.

Notably, the last time Amarinder met people was at a rally in Hoshiarpur district on September 13. The sitting MLA from the Chabbewal constituency, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, had given a call from the stage that Amarinder should be the chief minister after the 2022 Punjab elections. That call though, turned out to be far from reality – just a week later, Amarinder stepped down completely.

Galwan Clash: After All-Party Meeting, Modi Says China Has Not Intruded into Indian Territory

After a meeting which rode high on nationalism, the PM said, “Neither have they intruded into our border, nor has any post been taken over by them.”

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened an “all-party meeting” on the issue of India-China face off in Ladakh on Friday evening. Attended by several political parties, the meeting drew sharp focus on the escalation of tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. 

This is the first time that the prime minister has opened his office for discussions on border tensions with China with opposition members, yet the virtual meeting on Friday ended with an address by the Prime Minister that sparked more questions than it answered.

Modi categorically said that India did not lose any territory to China in recent months. “Neither have they intruded into our border, nor has any post been taken over by them (China). Twenty of our jawans were martyred, but those who dared Bharat Mata, they were taught a lesson,” he was quoted by ANI as having said. 

This is at odds with China’s clear claim of sovereignty over the Galwan valley. The statement also comes in the wake of reports that Chinese military has transgressed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto border, in several areas of eastern Ladakh including Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley.

Taking a predictably nationalist political line, Modi further said, “Today, we possess the capability that no one can eye even one inch of our land. India’s armed forces have the capability to move into multiple sectors at one go.”

“Till now, those who were never questioned or stopped, now our jawans stop them and warn them at multiple sectors,” he said, adding that the Army has been monitoring even those areas which were not attended to earlier at the India-China border. 

If pushed to the brink of retaliatory action, Modi said, “Whether it is deployment, action, counter-action…air, land or sea, whatever our armed forces have to do to protect our country they will do.”

Also read: Modi Needs to Be Rescued from his Cheerleaders

“In the past few years, to protect our borders, we have given importance to infrastructure development to protect our borders. The requirements of our armed forces, be it fighter planes, advanced helicopters, missile defence systems, that too is being given importance,” Modi said. 

He also notably said that the government has given the armed forces “full freedom for taking any appropriate action necessary.”

Maintaining that ‘India wants peace and friendship,’ Modi further said, “India has never come under external pressure. Whatever is necessary for country’s protection will be expedited.”

The defence minister Rajnath Singh said that there was no intelligence failure, as is being accused by some political parties. 

What did the opposition leaders say?

Ahead of the meeting, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former prime minister H.D Devegowda wrote to Modi suggesting that the meeting should be preceded by a “presentation to the opposition leaders on the ground situation, and the progress of talks”. He said the presentation should be done by senior government and military officials, and added that while classified information could be kept secret, “truthful information” could be shared with opposition members. 

He went on to make four other suggestions that included toning down of nationalist rhetoric to prevent further escalation. He urged the leaders to refrain from using intemperate language and politicising the armed forces’ presence in order to have a fruitful discussion on the sensitive national security issue.   


Later, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi released her statement. While paying homage to the slain soldiers and wishing the injured ones a speedy recovery, she said that the meeting “should have come sooner and and immediately after the government had been reportedly informed about the Chinese intrusion on May 5th, 2020 into several places in Ladakh and elsewhere.”

Although she said that the entire nation fully supported the government in the steps to defend India’s territorial integrity, she also alleged that the government had kept everyone “in the dark about many crucial aspects of the crisis.”

“We have some specific questions, for the government: On which date did the Chinese troops intrude into our territory in Ladakh? When did the government  find out about the Chinese transgressions into our territory? Was it on May 5th, as reported, or earlier? Does the government not receive, on a regular basis, satellite pictures of the borders of our country? Did our external intelligence agencies not report any unusual activity along the LAC? Did the military intelligence not alert the government about the intrusion and the build-up of massive forces along the LAC, whether on the Chinese side or on the Indian side? In the government’s considered view, was there a failure of intelligence,” she asked. 

She demanded that the government be more transparent about the “way forward” and seek suggestions from opposition parties. She added that the Congress party believes that valuable time between May 5 and June 6, the date on which the Corps commanders met, has been lost, but now is the time to exhaust all political and diplomatic avenues to talk to the Chinese leadership directly. 

“The entire country would like an assurance that the status quo ante would be restored and China will revert back to the original position on Line of Actual Control,” she said. 

Also watch | Galwan Clash a Personal Message to Modi, a Taunt by China: Former FS Nirupama Rao

“We would also like to be briefed on the preparedness of our defence forces to meet any threat. In particular, I would like to ask what is the current status of the Mountain Strike Corps, with two mountain infantry divisions, that was sanctioned in 2013,” she asked. 

Pinaki Mishra of the Biju Janata Dal took a more forthright approach. “Shri Naveen Patnaik ji’s appeal to all parties is not to indulge in a blame game at this point. We must be in lockstep with the government, the entire country needs to talk in one voice. The government will have to give a strong response; strong action will have to be initiated (against China). Whatever that action may be, the BJD will fully support the government,” ANI quoted the Puri MP as having said. 

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, on the other hand, directed the talks towards an economic boycott of China. “Goods from China flooding Indian markets have major problems. They’re plastic heavy, aren’t eco-friendly and they harm the environment. Electronic waste associated with them is high. Chinese products don’t even last long. It’s our duty to be one and support the Centre,” ANI quoted him as having said.

Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, YSR Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi all voiced support to the government and either called for a strong military response or an economic boycott of Chinese goods.

“India wants peace but that doesn’t mean we are weak. China’s nature is betrayal. India is ‘mazboot‘ not ‘majboor‘. Our government has the ability to ‘aankhien nikalkar haath me de dena‘,” Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said.  

Also read: ‘No Troops Missing’ Says India, No Denial Yet of Reports of Capture and Return of Soldiers

BJP ally Shiromani Akali Dal said that this wasn’t the time to question the government on the handling of the situation, and all parties must show that they are with the Prime Minister. 

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that India should not allow Chinese companies to enter telecom, railway, and aviation sectors. “We will face some problems but we won’t allow the Chinese to enter,” ANI quoted her as having said.

Left party leaders, however, pointed out that the government should move forward in the direction of India’s non-alignment foreign policy and were the only parties to clearly advocate an anti-war approach between the two countries. The Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja spoke on the “need to resist US efforts to drag us into their alliance,” while Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury emphasised on the principles of Panchsheel Treaty between India and China in 1954 in which the countries agreed upon five principles of peaceful coexistence. 

“At the conclusion of the discussion, it was agreed that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely. Neither side would take any action to escalate matters and instead, ensure peace and tranquility as per bilateral agreements and protocols,” Yechury said, while extending its support to the government’s similar stance currently.

“Following this, government of India should initiate high level talks, so that steps are taken, including clear demarcation of the LAC, to maintain peace and tranquility on the border,” he added.

Some of the prominent political names who attended the meeting were: 

    • Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi
    • BJP president J.P. Nadda
    • Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M.K. Stalin
    • Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu
    • YSR Congress chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy
    • Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar
    • Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) head Nitish Kumar
    • Communist Party of India general secretary D. Raja
    • Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury
    • Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao
    • West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee
    • Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal
    • Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan
    • Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray
    • Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav
    • Jharkhand CM and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Hemant Soren
    • Biju Janata Dal leader Pinaki Mishra
    • Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda
    • Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s Prem Singh Tamang
    • Mizoram chief minister and Mizo National Front Zoramthanga
    • Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati
    • Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK’s E.K. Palaniswami

RJD, AAP, AIMIM protest at not being invited

Earlier in the day, the exclusion of some opposition parties from the all-party meeting had the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) fuming. 

The defence minister had reportedly called all party chiefs on Thursday evening to invite them for the meeting. However, on Friday morning, Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD leader, said that he was not invited. 

Even AAP’s Sanjay Singh tweeted to register his protest. “There is a strange ego-driven government at the centre. AAP has a government in Delhi and is the main opposition in Punjab. But on a vital subject, AAP’s views are not needed? The country is waiting for what the Prime Minister will say at the meeting.”

Later, however, while expressing its disappointment at its exclusion, it said that the party stood committed to the outcome of the meeting.

Sources in the Union government told NDTV that parties which have at least five MPs were only called for the meeting. 

RJD spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha, however, said that the exclusion of his party appeared to be “strange and arbitrary” as the RJD has five MPs in the parliament. 

Later, RJD MPs stood in protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament house. Jha also wrote a letter to the prime minister registering his dissent against leaving out the principal opposition party in Bihar. 

Similarly, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in a letter to the prime minister, said that he was disappointed for not having been invited to the meeting as he was one of the few MPs who had been raising the issue of Chinese incursion in Ladakh for the last five weeks. He urged the Union government to convene parliament at the earliest so that the government could answer opposition queries regarding the India-China face-off. He also listed a set of 11 questions for the government to address in the all-party meeting. 

Delhi Elections: AAP Accuses BJP of Lacking Roadmap for State’s Development

Union ministers campaign for BJP candidates; SAD also promises support.

New Delhi: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday accused the BJP of not having any roadmap for the development of Delhi. It was for this reason, he said, the saffron party was resorting to slander and abusing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP also lodged a complaint during the day against West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma for calling Kejriwal a “terrorist”.

Singh accused BJP of continuously using objectionable language against AAP leaders, saying, “Its leaders have realised that they will not be able to win this election against the AAP. Therefore, they are nervous and losing their senses.”

‘Kejriwal government fulfilled all promises’

It was because of this, Singh charged that “Verma made highly objectionable and insulting remarks about Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal”. He claimed that Kejriwal was the first leader in the 70-year history of India to fulfil all the promises that the party made to the people.

Singh said the CM oversaw the construction of 20,000 new classrooms in schools, completely reformed the education sector and established mohalla clinics. “And yet,” he lamented, “he is being called a terrorist”.

Also Read: BJP Will Push Delhi Back to Era of Schools in Tents: Manish Sisodia

Among the other achievements of AAP, Singh said was the Farishtey Yojana for the road accident victims and Good Samaritan Law and the Teerth Yatra Scheme for senior citizens.

The AAP MP also said it was Kejriwal who announced an assistance of Rs 1 crore to the families of martyrs and who introduced Rs 50,000 per hectare compensation to farmers for crop loss.

BJP Union ministers campaign for candidates

Meanwhile, a number of senior leaders and ministers from BJP campaigned for the party candidates on Wednesday.

Among them was Union minister Smriti Irani, who campaigned for Delhi Sadar candidate Jaiprakash. Addressing a street corner meeting, Irani accused the Kejriwal government of not working for 57 months and then making a string of announcements in the last three months of its tenure.

She also accused the AAP government of placing hurdles in the Nirbhaya case. Commenting on the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protest, she said: “The opposition was earlier anti-Hindu, but after the CAA it has become clear that it is also against Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains.” She also accused AAP and Congress of creating “anarchy” in Delhi by “orchestrating” protests against CAA.

“During the protests at Jamia and JNU, the Delhi government instead of issuing appeals for peace, instigated the protesters. The AAP MLA himself delivered speeches to instigate the crowds and some Congress leaders too played a similar role,” she said.

Ministers recall work done by Centre for Delhi

Another Union minister, Nitin Gadkari, while addressing an election rally in Seelampur, claimed that during the last five years his road and surface transport ministry spent nearly Rs 70,000 crore on development projects in Delhi. He said these projects included the Eastern and Western Peripheral Express, which he said eased congestion in Delhi.

Union urban development minister Hardeep Puri came out in support of BJP’s Deoli candidate and said residents of unauthorised colonies have been given ownership rights by the Narendra Modi government. The scheme, he said, would benefit nearly 40 lakh residents of these colonies.

Puri said the Delhi Development Authority has also started the process of providing conveyance deeds to residents of these colonies so that the residents have proper documents with them.

SAD to support BJP candidates

In another development, the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, which snapped in Delhi as the two parties were unable to reach an understanding on sharing of seats, appears to have tracked back. But while SAD would support BJP’s candidates, it cannot field its candidates since the last date of filing nominations has passed.

BJP national president J.P. Nadda said on Wednesday that SAD would support its candidates. Earlier, the two parties had failed to stitch an alliance over SAD’s opposition to CAA.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal said the alliance was not just political but also rooted in “emotions” and the need for “peace, future and interests of Punjab and the country”. He claimed that the “misunderstandings” parties had were sorted.

Congress Secures Absolute Majority While AAP Suffers Resounding Loss in Punjab

In Punjab’s first triangular contest, AAP ate into the traditional Akali vote, while the Congress was given a new lease of life.

In Punjab’s first triangular contest, AAP ate into the traditional Akali vote, while the Congress was given a new lease of life.

New Delhi: Youth congress activists celebrate party's thumping win in Punjab state Assembly elections, at AICC in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Photo by Vijay Verma(PTI3_11_2017_000122B)

New Delhi: Youth congress activists celebrate party’s thumping win in Punjab state Assembly elections, at AICC in New Delhi on Saturday. Credit:PTI/Vijay Verma

New Delhi: As the results of the Punjab assembly election started to come in on Saturday morning, it was quite clear that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was nowhere close to forming the government. Punjab has given the mantle back to the Congress under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, who had claimed that he was fighting his last election.

AAP had made a strong entry into the electoral stage of Punjab, where it had won 4 seats in the 2014 general election. Contrary to the many predictions that the party could be the new power in the Sikh-dominated state, it could perform well only in a few districts – Bhatinda, Mansa, and Sangrur – of the Malwa region, where it had registered a strong presence before the elections.

Eventually, it was the state-wide presence of the Congress that pulled it to victory in one of the most keenly contested elections in the state. With 77 seats in the 117-member assembly at the time of writing, Congress is sitting comfortably with almost an absolute majority. It is clear that the people of Punjab preferred Congress to AAP as the long-term alternative in state politics.

Except in a few places where there was a direct contest between the AAP and Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)-BJP combine proved to be the main contender for the grand old party. Despite vocal support, AAP could not make a political dent, perhaps because of its inability to form a coherent organisation and address the multi-faceted problems of the state.

In the Malwa region, which has 69 seats, AAP had been able to attract a large section of Akali supporters by provoking anti-Badal sentiments on two precise issues – the alleged involvement of some Akali leaders in the burgeoning narcotics trade and the Badal government’s inability to control farmer suicides in the state. Both these issues had its impact. The resentment against Badals grew but a lack of organisational structure prevented AAP from emerging as a state-level alternative.

Also crucial is the fact that AAP promised sops – like it in Delhi – but did not offer a political alternative. Its challenge was to the individuals in other parties, instead of challenging the political establishment as a whole and offering an alternative system of governance in the relatively prosperous state.

In the run-up to the elections, AAP had to face its own demons. Party infighting, a brittle organisational structure and poor distribution of tickets were some of the problems that had clutched the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

Several of its volunteers complained about the high-handedness and autocratic functioning of its leaders who were managing the campaign, primarily pointing fingers at Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak.

“We had founded the party here, created district councils and had a solid organisation. All of that was dissolved as the elections came nearer. The party ignored us and gave tickets to rich and corrupt candidates,” Himanshu Pathak, former AAP leader in Punjab, told The Wire. Pathak was instrumental in building AAP in Punjab after the anti-corruption movement in 2011. However, he was sidelined in the run-up to the election, leading to his defection to Congress along with a number of other AAP members just ahead of the election.

Pathak was partially true, as in many seats, AAP gave tickets to former Akali or Congress heavyweights.

In this context, AAP leaders tried to manufacture the perception – through social media campaigns, NRIs and vocal volunteers – that there is a wave in favour of it. This worked partially with the media but not with people. The ground reality, as it turns out, was starkly different.

On the contrary, the Congress, under Amarinder, campaigned in his old style, personalising his attack against the Badals and gradually directing his organisation to cash into the growing resentment against them.

For the first time in recent electoral history, Congress displayed a united front. Its factions – one led by Ama, the other by Pratap Singh Bajwa and another by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, all of which were publicly against each other – stood with each other in campaigns. This projected the Congress as more a formidable front, than AAP, as an alternative to the ruling Akali-BJP combine.

In addition, the 75-year-old Amarinder may have gained the people’s sympathy as he had asked for their votes on the count that 2017 will be his last election. He has also promised to waive off farmers’ loans.

But finally, Punjab’s election was not woven around a structural political narrative. It was an election to oust the Badals who were facing an all-time high anti-incumbency.

It was not all bad news for the Badals, though. Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal defeated Amarinder by more than 20,000 votes at his home constituency, Patiala. His son and deputy Sukhbir Badal defeated AAP star campaigner Bhagwant Mann by around 20,000 votes. Mann had challenged Sukhbir as part of AAP’s political tactic. One may recall Kejriwal had decided to contest from Gole Market in Delhi against then Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit. Similarly, the much-demonised Bikram Singh Majithia, Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and who was accused by AAP to have links to the narcotics trade, defeated his nearest Congress rival by more than 20,000 votes.

The BJP faced the biggest loss in Punjab. As an ally of the Akalis, the party contested 23 seats but could win only 3 in comparison to 12 in the last elections.

While the BJP has gained in UP, Uttarakhand and Manipur, and has given a strong fight to anti-incumbency in Goa, in Punjab it is the clear loser.

In what was a triangular contest for the first time, it is quite clear that AAP barged into the traditional Akali vote. While Congress’ votes (38.5%) dropped by only around 2% from 2012, Akalis suffered a huge blow of almost ten percentage points. In comparison to its vote share (34.73%) in 2012, it had to settle with only 25.3%. AAP, on the other hand, got a 23.8% vote share. What is interesting is that AAP’s vote share dropped by around 1% in comparison to the 2014 election. This means it has lost ground.

That Punjab always goes the other way is a common joke in the state. In 2014, amidst a Modi wave in north India, it sent four AAP MPs to parliament even when Kejriwal’s party lost its deposits in most states. In 2017, Punjab has done it again. It has breathed life into a declining Congress. It rejected two extreme poles in politics and chose the so-called centre. Whether Congress can live up to the definitive mandate in its favour remains to be seen.