Sukhbir says 40 farmers who died had been Akalis; unions say ‘news for us’

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Thursday claimed that 40 out of the 54 farmers who’ve died through the protests at Delhi are from the get together cadre whilst farmer union leaders rubbished the assertion and identified how Akali leaders had not even been allowed to attend the final rites of those peasants.
In an interplay with The Indian Express, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal mentioned his get together employees are closely concerned within the ongoing agitation for the repeal of the three central farm legal guidelines.
“Our rank and file is at Delhi borders protesting against farm laws, not as SAD workers but as farmers,” Sukhbir mentioned. He added that 65 of the get together’s constituency in-charge are at Delhi. “Our Youth Akali Dal workers have made a tent city at the borders. A number of them are party office-bearers at the block and village level,” he claimed, calling the agitation a public motion. “It hardly matters which political party you belong to”.
Farmer union leaders, nonetheless, expressed their shock at Sukhbir’s claims.
Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, common secretary of BKU (Ugrahan) mentioned, “It is news for me that 40 of the deceased are from SAD cadre. A few farmers may be voters of a particular party but you can’t term voters as cadre”.
Kokrikalan mentioned all farmer unions are at nice pains to maintain themselves away from any political get together. Calling it a compulsion of political events to align with the protest to maintain their vote financial institution alive, he requested, “If political parties are so concerned about farmers, why can’t they organise a separate dharna at any one Delhi border and see how much support they get”.
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, common secretary of BKU (Dakaunda) and dealing committee member of All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), mentioned he welcomed the truth that folks from totally different political events are becoming a member of the protest after abandoning their get together flags and badges. “We don’t agree to the fact that 40 farmers who died at Delhi border were from SAD’s cadre. Their leaders are not even allowed to speak at bhog ceremonies of farmers. In one such incident on December 15, families did not allow SAD’s general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra to speak at the bhog ceremony,” he added.
Sukhbir, in the meantime, mentioned that that Akali Dal even cancelled their political convention on the historic Maghi Mela in Muktsar for the primary time as their cadre is at Delhi borders.
The Akali Dal makes it a degree to pay condolence to the farmers who died at Delhi borders on their social media pages. The party-led Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has given Rs 1 lakh every to the households of the farmers who’ve died through the course of the agitation in Punjab or at Delhi borders.
Sukhbir mentioned, “The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has regularly organised langars for farmers, are making arrangements for their stay and their president Manjinder Singh Sirsa is working at the borders like a sewadaar and not as a politician, despite the fact that he is core committee member of the SAD. We fully support the agitation of farmers and I have advised my workers to go in large numbers at borders so as to get the laws repealed”.
He added, “In fact, it is not only a movement of farmers but also of doctors, lawyers, NRIs.. in short, people from every community are supporting the farmers. The government should understand the sentiments of people and repeal the laws, which farmers never wanted, or the agitation is going to grow stronger each day”.
He mentioned that the PM “should not play with the sentiments of the people involved in this historic movement and must take back these laws as farmers never wanted them”.
On BJP leaders’ feedback that the federal government will be unable to border any legislation if teams begin protesting and demanding a repeal, the Akali Dal chief requested, “Did anyone want these laws? We were the allies of the BJP in the NDA… we represent the peasants in Punjab and we were not even consulted. They passed the laws in a hurry and now have so many excuses when asked to repeal them”.
Asked about his get together’s prospects after breaking apart with the BJP, Sukhbir mentioned, “We are much stronger and getting excellent response in the 23 constituencies from where BJP used to contest the Assembly elections when we were in alliance”.
Asked if he regrets breaking apart with the BJP, Sukhbir mentioned,”I don’t need to touch upon this difficulty.” However. he added, “BJP is playing divisive games, and issuing statements to disturb peace of Punjab by calling farmers as terrorists, urban Naxals… this way they are instigating people with a target on votes of a particular section and religion. They are making efforts to disturb the peace of Punjab, which we cannot afford…This is the reason I called BJP as the real Tukde Tukde gang”.
The SAD chief mentioned his get together will type the subsequent authorities in Punjab. “Municipal council polls are going to be held and the results will be a trailer for 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections after which we we will be forming the government and that too with full majority”.
He mentioned the SAD will make a clear sweep within the municipal council polls and the “the Congress will see their position in urban areas”.
“Akali Dal is a farmers’ party and 90 per cent of the farmers support it. The 2022 polls will be different and will give a landmark victory to the SAD,” he mentioned, including the ruling Congress has not fulfilled any of the promise it had made. “The CM hardly steps out of his mansion and people are fed up of him. His ministers are involved in sand mafia, drug mafia etc. He is playing a drama in which he ( CM) is supporting farmers while Congress government had implemented these three farm laws in Punjab in 2017 itself. Even if the central government repeals its three laws, Punjab’s laws will still remain in force. He too needs to repeal the laws passed by his government,” he mentioned.
Continuing along with his assault on Capt Amarinder Singh, Sukhbir mentioned, “I feel that Punjab CM is acting more like a BJP CM as he is passing on all orders, which are coming from Home Minister Amit Shah. He is working in coordination with the Centre on how to wind up the farmers’ aandolan. The latest (in that effort) is by lodging fake FIRs against people. One was lodged in Hoshiarpur in BJP leader Tikshan Sud’s case and another in Dhanaula when people protested against BJP leader Harjeet Grewal.”