Epiosde no. 43
This interview with Shiromani Akali Dal senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar was published on 2 July 2022. At the beginning of which, Bhundar was asked by the journalist whether the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) is regretting its actions? So Bhundar said that every party has good and bad times, but people do not see the struggle of Shiromani Akali Dal. Bhundar said that when Operation Blue Star took place, Shiromani Akali Dal was fighting for the issues of Punjab and when the Delhi government failed to respond, it started riots through agencies, which was blamed on Akali Dal. During that time, some youths took steps like Sardar Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh, for which they are still suffering. Although according to the Supreme Court they have completed their sentence but the state is not doing anything for them. The journalist asked Bhundar why the Akali Dal forgot the issues of the Panth after the alliance with the BJP or why the Akali Dal did not remember these issues even till 2022? Bhundar said that people don’t remember the positives and this is a misconception. Bhundar said that the media is now in the hands of the capitalists, so the journalist asked if it was started by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)? Bhundar said that Shiromani Akali Dal is not Badal’s but only Shiromani Akali Dal. Bhundar said that he believes that some mistakes were made by the party and the new generation of Akali Dal cannot make the sacrifices that the forefathers of Akali Dal made. Apart from this, he said that the agenda of the Shiromani Akali Dal in the Sangrur by-election was the release of the Bandi Singhs, which the people could not understand. The journalist also talked about the comments given by Sukhbir Badal about Jagtar Hawara and also asked why the performance of young leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal was poor? Apart from this, Bhundar spoke openly about Aam Aadmi Party’s announcements and performance. When Bhundar was asked about the disturbed state of internal discipline of the party and the election of a new party president, he said that the party’s discipline is intact and the decision to elect a new president will be the party’s. Bhundar did not openly discuss the report of the Iqbal Singh Jhunda Committee. The meeting with Simranjit Singh Mann during the by-elections was discussed. Finally, Bhundar said that Akali Dal will come forward to work for the good of Punjab with full unity.
~kulwinder kaur bajwa