Punjab Government at receiving end, fearing public wrath, SAD leaders went into hiding

Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: The functioning of SAD-BJP government in Punjab has crippled and normal life has came to stand still, even as the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) leaders have gone underground fearing wrath of public in wake of ongoing controversy over sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and role of Akal Takht Jathedar in granting pardon to dera Sacha Sauda chief and reversing the same under political pressure.

Several SAD leaders and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee(SGPC) members have resigned from their posts to register their protest against recent incidents. The Ministers, MLAs and district presidents of SAD are forced to curtail their political activities and stay indoor. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has put on hold his most favourite programme of Sangat Darshan and becomes invisible to public. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has cancelled his favourite World Kabaddi Cup and not seen at any public meeting.

The state government has failed to maintain law and order as the Punjab roads are blocked for the last over one week and no vehicular traffic is allowed to move. Prior to that the railway traffic in Punjab came to halt due to farmer's agitation and no trains moved in Punjab for full one week.

The Sikhs world over are angry with the ruling Badal family for using Akal Takht for vested political interests and hurting sentiments of whole community. The Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are in the eye of storm for their failure to protect the honour of holy Guru Granth Sahib. It is alleged that Sukhbir Singh Badal was instrumental in forcing Akal Takht Jathedar to exonerate Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh who was excommunicated by Akal Takht Jathedar in 2007.

While Sikh organisation issued warning to SAD leadership and Akal Takht to withdraw the edict of pardoning Dera Chief, the serial incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib rocked the state. The pages of Guru Granth Sahib were found torn at many places. Though the state government claimed to have solved five cases and arrested few suspected persons, the incidents of sacrilege continued unabated. There are no buyers of police theory that conspiracy of distablising the state government was hatched on foreign land. It was unexpectable to masses that the priests of Gurdwaras were involved in the sacrilige incidents.

The SAD-BJP government nearing to complete its second term of five years in 2017 is facing strong anti-incumbency factor. Badal family is being accused for breeding mafia culture in Punjab and shielding the sand mafia, drug mafia and liquor mafia while the family is directly controlling 70 percent of transport and cable network business in the state. Punjab was in the news for drug menace and allegations were levelled on cabinet ministers for shielding drug smugglers. The nmpact of drug menace was so high that even the Prime Minister Narender Modi had raised the issue in his radio programme 'Man Ki Baat'. The people in the state are forced to buy sand and gravel at rates ten times higher than the prices prevailing before Badal government took over the regime in 2007. The illegal mining in the state was going on unchecked.

The rising crime in Punjab is another major problem as rapes, robberies and murders have become order of the day. In many of the highlighted cases of murder, the activists of ruling SAD were found involved. The culture of gang wars has grown to threaten the safety of common man. The gangs of criminals have political shelter and they are roaming free.

The recent crisis in Punjab is result of prolonged lawlessness, corruption and dictatorial behaviour of the ruling party leaders. It seems certain vested interests are trying to divide people on communal lines by polarising Sikh and Hindu population. So far the purpose of political forces have been defeatd by the unity of people. The SAD has set its target on winning 2017 assembly elections and it is ready to go an extra mile to achieve the target.

The popularity of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is worrying factor for SAD. The people have shown their solidarity with the AAP in the last Parliament elections. But hardly any efforts were made by the SAD-BJP regime to improve their working. The BJP is part of the government but it has little say in the policy dicisions. BJP ministers often complained of interference in their departments by Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The current incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib are seen as an attempt to polarise Sikh voters and divert the attention of public from core issues of drug menace, corruption and crime.