Accusing the Congress of pursuing its old policy of irrelevantly meddling in the religious affairs of Sikhs by undermining the position of Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib through its ‘B-team’ led by former president of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee Paramjeet Singh Sarna, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said this was “totally intolerable”.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of Sangat Darshan program in the lambi assembly segment here, Badal said that the filing of suite against Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib through an aide of Paramjeet Singh Sarna, who was a trusted agent of the Congress, was testimony to the fact that Congress party was manoeuvring to denigrate the revered position of Jathedar Sahib.
“Since time immemorial authority of Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib had never been questioned by anyone as sacred Sri Akal Takht Sahib was the highest temporal seat of Sikhs and even the mighty Kings like Maharaja Ranjit Singh had always bowed before the supreme power of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and ever accepted its orders (hukamnamas) thereby upholding its supremacy,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that by resorting to such cheap tactics, the Congress and its agents were trying to dent the authority of Jathedar Sahib, which was unacceptable to any Sikh who believes in the tenets of Sikhism. Answering another query, Badal said that just for the sake of taking political mileage the national Congress leadership was bent on destroying the federal feature of Indian Constitution by ignoring the State Government ruled by opposition parties during the inauguration of key projects.
He said that as a votary of morality in politics he had always held the opposition in high esteem and had accorded ‘Red Carpet’ welcome to the leaders of oppositions of Union Ministers during their tours in the State. However, he said that while laying the foundation stone of Cancer Hospital in Sangrur, the Congress leadership stooped too low, which has given a fatal blow to the centre-state relationship.
“But that will not deter us from welcoming the leaders of Union government to the state and we will give full honor and respect to PM or any other Minister, if they come to state”, Badal added.
Earlier addressing the gathering during the Sangat Darshan program in several villages, the Chief Minister, underscored the need for adopting crop diversification in the state, and said that it would go a long way in bailing out the distressed peasantry from the current agrarian crisis. He said that the farmers must adopt the cultivation of crops like soyabean, maize and others which were more remunerative on one hand and less water intentive on the other.
Badal also stressed upon the need for adopting agro forestry and fish farming for supplementing their income besides preventing the depletion of under-ground water table. He said that the farmers of the water logged areas must adopt fish farming as there was a tremendous scope in it adding that the state government would extend fulsome support to them in this cause.