Ties with ally BJP strained, SAD woos Mazhabi Sikhs

Manmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 21

Downplaying the summoning of Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Rs 6,000 core drug scam, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that it should not be be taken for granted that the minister was guilty.

“A person is not guilty until he is proven so. Mere summoning by the ED does not mean that a person has done something wrong.

“Earlier, the ED had summoned MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh. But no charges were framed against them,” the Chief Minister maintained.

Badal and his party colleagues were here to attend a state-level function at Bishamarpura village to observe the martyrdom day of Baba Jiwan Singh (Bhai Jaita ji). Majithia, too was at the function. He left much before the function had ended. He demanded a special package for the Mazhabi Sikhs in the state.

Talking to mediapersons, the Chief Minister evaded questions on withdrawal of security to the Damdama Sahib Jathedar, Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, on BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and the latter accusing the SAD of plotting attacks on him in Jammu.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, state minister Gulzar Singh Ranike and other speakers praised Badal for his contribution to the upliftment of the Mazjhabi Sikhs.

Badal said he would take up with the DSGMC the issue of raising a memorial to Baba Jiwan Singh at Chandni Chowk, Delhi. He said work on a memorial to the Baba at Anandpur Sahib would start soon.

He said to help village residents overcome the problem of ownership, the “lal dora” in rural areas would be numbered.

The government had last held a state-level function to observe the martyrdom day of Baba Jiwan Singh in December 2009 at Ludhiana. The function was attended by senior BJP leader LK Advani. Speaking at the function then, Badal had announced Baba Jiwan Singh Chair at one of the universities in Punjab. “The promise has not been honoured so far,” said a community member.

Organising a state-level function after five years is seen as an attempt by the SAD to appease the Mazhabi Sikh community, especially when its ties with the BJP are strained.