Reacting to the tussle between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and the rebel faction SAD (Punar Surjit) headed by Giani Harpreet Singh over the venue allotment, Punjab BJP spokesperson and Sikh scholar Prof Sarchand Singh Khiala said the Aam Aadmi Party government was deliberately trying to create an atmosphere of political conflict and tension ahead of Assembly elections.He said by allowing the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) to hold a rally at the same place to mark the 41st death anniversary of Sikh scholar and former SAD president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on August 20, the government had made it quite evident that it did not want to prevent conflict, but to encourage it.“The government is aware of the political differences between the two Akali factions. Still, it gave permission to both parties to hold the event in the same market the same day. It is not an administrative failure, but a well-thought-out political move. There is also no transparency in the process of allotting the place for the rally,” he said.On Tuesday, a war of words reportedly started between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and the rebel faction SAD (Punar Surjit) headed by Giani Harpreet Singh after they were allotted separate portions of the same venue — the grain market in Longowal, Sangrur, to hold the August 20 event.SAD leaders, including Daljit Singh Cheema, accused the state administration and the local authorities of bias, alleging collusion between the AAP government and SAD (Punar Surjit).Meanwhile, SAD (Punar Surjit) leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa denied any such allegations, saying they had no idea that SAD (Akali) would also request the same venue.Khiala said the legacy of Sant Longowal was not of any one faction, but the common heritage of every Punjabi, who believed in peace, harmony and brotherhood.Sant Longowal played a historic role in restoring peace in Punjab during the turbulent period of the 1980s. The 11-point Punjab Accord signed with the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, on July 24, 1985, was an important step towards ending the violence of that time, creating stability, connecting the Sikh youth with the mainstream and overcoming the lack of trust between the Centre and Punjab and restoring peace. The path of peace that Sant Longowal chose in the interest of Punjab and the country proved to be suicidal for him as he was shot on almost a month later on August 20, 1985.He added that Sant Longowal’s death anniversary should not be a platform for political confrontation, but should be made a message of peace and unity in Punjab.