A day after BJP MP Subramanian Swamy demanded to immediately halt the work on the Kartarpur corridor voicing apprehension about Pakistan’s “intentions”, the rival political parties in Punjab, including the Congress, have lashed out at the BJP while asking the SAD to come clean on the issue.
Punjab Congress leaders have challenged the Akalis to come clean on Swamy’s statement “which has hurt the Sikh sentiments”, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has asked the BJP to either ask its MP to apologise else show him the door out of the party.
In chorus, AAP’s rebel leader and Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) president Sukhpal Singh Khaira warned the BJP and SAD against any conspiracy to scrap the prestigious Kartarpur Sahib corridor, while demanding clarification from the Prime Minister Narender Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Badal on Swamy’s controversial statement.
Punjab’s senior Congress leaders, including two Cabinet Ministers — Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Bharat Bhushan Ashu along with eight MLAs, have castigated Swamy for advocating halting of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor work saying that the Akalis must come clean on the issue and spell out their stand that how would they react to a senior leader of the party with which they so loudly profess to have immensely close relationship, openly and so brazenly opposing Sri Kartarpur Corridor.
“SAD’s silence on various issues from GST on Gurudwaras earlier and now opposition to Sri Kartarpur Sahib corridor proves that SAD is hand in glove with BJP in this sin,” they said.
They stated that it was a part of deep-rooted conspiracy that Swamy gave this statement in Chandigarh. “Now, the Punjab BJP leadership must also clarify their position as to whether they are in agreement with Swamy’s statement or not...The Sikh panth would never forgive SAD-BJP for creating obstacles in fulfilling their long cherished wish,” they said.
AAP MLAs Prof Baljinder Kaur, Rupinder Kaur Ruby, Manjeet Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Singh Pandori and Jai Krishna Singh Rori, in a joint statement, asked the BJP high command to either direct Swamy to withdrew his statement on Kartarpur corridor and apologise for the same or immediately expel him from the part.
Khaira, maintaining that Swamy’s statement at Chandigarh, is part of deep-rooted conspiracy of BJP and its alliance partner SAD against Sikh community, said that neither Punjab BJP nor SAD president Sukhbir Badal had clarified their stand on his statement.
Demanding a clarification on the issue from Modi, state BJP president Shwait Malik and Sukhbir Badal, Khaira apprehended that the Badal family had literally pledged and surrendered the interests of Punjab and Sikhs before the BJP merely to ensure the continuance of Harsimrat Kaur Badal as a Cabinet Minister.
The BJP leader, Swamy had on Saturday said the work on the Kartarpur corridor should be stopped in the interest of the nation and there should be no talks with Pakistan on any issue.
“In my view, in the interest of the nation, the work (on Kartarpur corridor) should not move ahead. Whatever work has taken place (on the project), let it stop there,” Swamy had said while talking to the mediapersons on the sidelines of a seminar here.
When asked about its impact on Sikh sentiments, Swamy had said Sikhs are nationalists and they would understand it. Asserting that there should be no talks with Pakistan on any issue, Swamy had further said the neighbouring country should not be given any excuse, including the Kartarpur corridor project, for talks.
In a major initiative last November, both India and Pakistan had agreed to set up the corridor to link the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur-- the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev -- with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur. Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the Ravi river, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.
Two days later, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, around 125 km from Lahore.
Pakistan is building the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur up to the border is being built by India. The corridor will be opened in November to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.