Tension between SAD, BJP rises before Lok Sabha polls

Chandigarh: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, strains are visible in the alliance between Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP in Punjab over composition of gurdwara management committees across the country. The SAD has gone as far as threatening to break the alliance with the BJP.

In a series of tweets, SAD spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the BJP of meddling in the affairs of gurdwaras by trying to install its own persons in gurdwara managements.

“We can sacrifice the alliance but cannot tolerate interference in the religious affairs of the community. Sikh minorities across the world are feeling agitated over attempts by the BJP to try and interfere in Gurdwara Patna Sahib. We stopped that by petitioning BJP chief Amit Shah. Now attempts are being made by the BJP-led Maharashtra government to install their own nominee as head of the board of Gurdwara Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded,” he said

“This cannot be tolerated. Let the BJP be warned. For us MLA/MP posts are not important. For us, the service of the community is important. If they don’t stop meddling in our religious affairs, we will be forced to take the extreme step,” Mr Sirsa warned in a video message.

Trying to playdown Mr Sirsa’s outburst, Punjab BJP president Shwait Malik said, “Parkash Singh Badal is custodian of the SAD, our alliance is with his SAD, I don’t want to comment on Mr Sirsa”. Mr Malik said that both Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal have extended unconditional support to the BJP and none of them has levelled such allegations.

However, RSS-affiliate Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was quick to attack the SAD by accusing it of misusing Sikh religious institutions for political gains.

Sikh Sangat general secretary Avtar Singh Shastri said, “Akali Dal Badal is not a sole proprietor of the Sikh issues. Party has always used religious institutions for political interests.”

“The party’s  interference in Sikh religious institutions was at its peak when the party pressured Sikh jathedars to issue a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim for political gains in 2015 and party made the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to give advertisements of '82 lakh to get the votes of Dera followers,” he said.   

Political observers, however, see the recent diatribe between SAD and BJP as a result of an attempt by the BJP to assert itself in Punjab.  With the Akali Dal on the back foot in Punjab, its alliance partner BJP would like to bargain for more seats in the state in the LS polls.

The fact that the Badals are on the back foot after their name being dragged into Bargari desecration controversy and the resulting police firing in 2015 that killed two people, they are not in a position to oppose any attempt by the BJP to seek a bigger share in the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.In 2014, the SAD and the AAP had won four seats each. The Congress won three and the BJP bagged two seats.

Akali rebel leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa who has openly challenged the Badals was recently conferred Padam Bhushan, many political observers see this as an open snub to the Badals and an indication that BJP could use rebel Akali leaders to put up a challenge to Badals during seat-sharing talks.