Turning Bhagwant Mann’s “fake turban” jibe back on the Punjab Chief Minister, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has said the turban was “bigger than any Chief Minister” and could not be reduced to an instrument of electoral politics.In a conversation with The Tribune, Saini said Mann was free to question his politics, decisions, views or even his attire, but drew a line at what he described as an attack on his faith. “I can be attacked politically or personally. My views, my decisions, even my clothes can be questioned. I will answer every question on the political battlefield. But the turban is bigger than any Chief Minister,” Saini said.“It is not the property of any Chief Minister, it does not belong to any political party, and it is not a prop for electoral politics,” he added, describing the turban as a symbol of “honour, self-respect, faith and the glorious tradition handed down by our Gurus”.Mann had, at a public event earlier this week, taken a dig at Saini for wearing a turban during his visits to Punjab, saying the Haryana CM believed he could win the hearts of Punjabis by sporting “fake turbans”. Saini had earlier termed the remark unfortunate and demanded an apology to the Gurus and the people of Punjab.Invoking Sikh history, Saini referred to Baba Kharak Singh’s defiance of British jail authorities at Dera Ghazi Khan in the 1920s. Kharak Singh protested against restrictions on political prisoners wearing black turbans and ultimately refused to wear clothes except his ‘kachera’ rather than submit to the restrictions.Saini said the episode represented the historic struggle associated with the dignity of the Sikh turban and argued that no political office or political remark could be placed above that legacy.He also sought to shift the focus to governance in Punjab, raising the issue of drug addiction. “When families are being devastated by the menace of drugs, when a father is forced to appeal to the government to save his son from addiction, the government must answer what it is doing to protect those families,” he told The Tribune.“Saving a young life is the real responsibility of a government,” he added.Saini reiterated that his political record remained open to criticism, but his faith and commitment to the turban were not matters for political mockery.Mann is yet to respond to Saini’s latest remarks.