Sharp reaction of the leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to the BJP national president Amit Shah’s visit was more of a compulsion than a matter of choice for them.
Facing attack from all sides following ambiguity over the Centre’s refunding its GST share on langar purchases, the reason for the criticism Shah faced was not hard to comprehend.
Only a day before, the Congress party suggested the SAD leadership, especially the Badals, to avail the “golden opportunity” to raise the issues pertaining to the state and the common people with the president of the ruling party at the Centre.
A similar suggestion was given by the leader of the opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Khaira on Thursday.
Khaira urged the SAD president Sukhbir Badal to “demand release of priceless historic documents and rare manuscripts seized by the Army from Sikh reference library 34 years ago”, during his meeting with Amit Shah and “don’t just beg for seat sharing”.
Asking for doing “some good for the community”, Khaira also urged Sukhbir to “use his good offices with Shah to demand de-classification of all documents, reports etc related to army attack on Golden Temple 34 years ago as per international conventions”.
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday had also asked the SAD leadership to raise burning issues like that of state farmers, the SYl and the escalating cost of petrol-diesel, pendency of the post-matric scholarship, instead of securing a cabinet berth.
Even as the SAD leaders have been sulking for quite long, their outburst against the BJP on Thursday has its roots in the criticism by the rival leaders.
Senior SAD leaders, including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, openly expressed their resentment with the BJP chief, following which it was decided to form a six-member coordination panel of the two parties.