But the two reasons they gave (Akalis) (for breaking ties) were very surprising, Ashwani Sharma said.
Chandigarh:
Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said on Sunday that the reasons given by Shiromani Akali Dal for severing ties with the NDA were “very surprising” but also mentioned that he was “saddened” by his decision.
SAD announced Saturday night that it would resign from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the issue of farm laws. The party chief had also expressed his anguish over the non-inclusion of Punjabi in the 2020 Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill.
Following this development, the Punjab unit of the BJP held a meeting of its core group on Sunday.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Sharma said: “The BJP has always respected all parties associated with the NDA. But the SAD is a political party and they chose another line. I surely felt sad because it was the oldest ally. “.
“But the two reasons (Akalis) gave (for breaking ties) were very surprising,” he said.
On the subject of farm laws, the Akalis claimed that the BJP was not in favor of farmers. But since Narendra Modi became prime minister, the farming community has made several decisions, Sharma said.
He cited the support of 6,000 rupees given to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sammann Nidhi program, supplying neem-coated urea, Kisan Bima and Fasal Bima programs, among others.
Strongly defending the three agricultural bills, Sharma said the prime minister had ensured that the support minimum price system and government procurement would continue.
The head of the Punjab BJP said that Akali Dal also raised the issue of non-inclusion of the Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Under a new clause 4, which has been inserted into the new law (Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020), a provision has been made to promote the Punjabi language in Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma stated.
He said that the BJP is accountable to Punjab, Punjabiyat and the people of Punjab.
“Therefore, the reasons that (Akalis) gave (for leaving the alliance) are not sufficient,” he said.
Sharma also accused Congress and the AAP of trying to mislead farmers.
Confronting Prime Minister Amarinder Singh, the head of the state BJP accused him of using farmers’ shoulders in an attempt to hide his government’s failures and rampant corruption and the existence of liquor and mining mafias.
He lashed out at Congress, claiming that he ruled the country for 60 years and gave false hope to the poor and farmers and never made any decisions to raise their standard of living.
In reaction to SAD’s decision to sever ties, BJP senior leader Manoranjan Kalia said it was regrettable that they broke off a long association.
He said there was a generational change in Akali Dal as several high-level leaders such as Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Sewa Singh Sekhawan, who used to work with Akali stalwart Parkash Singh Badal, have left the SAD.
“Now the second generation has taken over and some leaders are more reactive now,” Kalia said.
Another BJP leader, Master Mohan Lal, described the Akalis’ move to withdraw from the NDA as a “hasty decision.” He said that the Akalis should have held a meeting with the BJP core group.
“I don’t understand what Akalis’s compulsions were and why they made this decision,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed)
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