EVM
Empire strikes back, withdraw Z plus security of Akali stalwart Bikram Singh
Majithia
Jagtar
Singh
Ground Zero
When Akal
Takht Acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, while pitching for the Shiromani Akali
Dal, attacked the Narendra Modi government as the “EVM government”, he did not
realise that the retaliation would be
hard and quick. The Modi government hit a soft target and withdrew Z
plus security cover provided to party strongman Bikram Singh Majithia, brother
of Harsimrat Kaur Badal who resigned recently from the Modi cabinet on the
farmers issue after strongly supporting the same earlier. She is the wife of
Akali Dal supremo Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The platform
from where Giani Harpreet Singh fired the missile was the 100th
anniversary function of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Manji
Sahib Diwan Hall in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex, an event that
should have been a grand affair but ended up virtually as a non-event, like any
ordinary religio-political function.
The main
highlight was the way the platform was used to revive the fortunes of the Akali
Dal, the party that continues to be in the receiving end even when out of
power.
Both
Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife attended the function.
The
anti-Modi tone was earlier set by Sukhbir who talked of increasing insecurity to
minorities, an issue that neither he nor
his party ever touched so long the Akali Dal was in alliance with the BJP.
The general
perception of the Modi government is that of its being vindictive.
It may be
recalled that during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Modi has addressed election
meeting at Hoshiarpur where 5-time chief minister and Faqr-e-Qaum Panth Rattan
Parkash Singh Badal raised the slogan of ‘Modi, Modi, Modi…’ like a BJP worker
at the end of his speech. Harsimrat was inducted as minister by Modi in 2014.
Sukhbir has now suddenly realized after break with the BJP that the Modi
government is anti-minorities and anti-farmer.
The Akali
Dal ended more than two decade old
alliance with the BJP as the party came under increasing pressure after the
farmers launched struggle against the farm acts introduced by the Modi
government that are perceived to be disastrous. The model of free market that
these acts have advocated has already failed in Bihar.
The Badal
family had initially very strongly supported these farm ordinances that were
converted into acts some weeks back. The farmers have been the traditional
supporters of the Akali Dal for years.
The BJP has
been attacking the Akali Dal from day one after the end of the alliance. The party
is now eyeing Punjab after Bihar although it has little base in this state
whose electoral dynamics is dictated by the Sikh religio-political dynamics and farm
economy.
However,
the Akali Dal has been distancing from the religio-political dynamics over the
years to work out new permutations and combinations. However, having been hit
hard, the party is now trying to revert to the Panthic agenda. The SGPC
centenary anniversary function happened to be one such exercise rather than
setting the agenda for this body with glorious history of struggles. In the
process, the Modi government too was targeted.
The issue
here, however, is the withdrawal of security cover of Majithia. He had been
provided security cover by the Central Reserve Police Force.
Akali Dal
senior leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema reacted strongly to this action saying, ““It
is clear that Mr Majithia is a victim of political vendetta. The SAD however
will not be cowed down by such tactics and will continue to stand with farmers
and Punjabis against the central laws as well as any other issue which weakens
the federal structure or is intrinsically anti- Punjab….National Democratic
Alliance (NDA). .. Security should not be given on whims and fancies to people
who sing the tune of the government.”
It is too
well known that the security cover has become status symbol in India.
This entire
system of security needs to be reviewed.
How come
that the people from the political class become scared of the very people whom
they claim to serve?
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi must order review of the security cover of each and
every person who has been extended this favour in the country.
The rules
must be clear and specific rather than it being a discretion.
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