The Congress on Monday said any tie-up between the SAD and its former partner BJP would be a betrayal of Punjab’s interests and an insult to people.AdvertisementThe remarks came in response to a statement by Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, who on Sunday had sought an alliance with the SAD to ensure communalharmony in the state.Reacting to it, senior Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa alleged that the Akali-BJP combine in the past had “backstabbed Punjab’s farmers, orchestrating conspiracies to exploit controversial figures like Ram Rahim for political gains”.“Even today, the BJP continues to shield Ram Rahim, who enjoys a VI treatment in jail,” said Randhawa. “Punjabis have not forgotten these wounds, and Jakhar’s suggestion reeks of selective memory loss, driven by his personal ambition rather than the state’s welfare,” claimed Randhawa.The Congress leader alleged that Jakhar’s agenda was not the progress of Punjab but “an unfulfilled desire of becoming the Chief Minister by any means”.“Jakhar should speak to veteran BJP leaders who endured greater betrayal at the hands of the Akali leadership, particularly Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhbir Badal,” he said.Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Raja Warring claimed that any form alliance between the two parties won’t bring any dividends to them.Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Congress president“Be it the Assembly poll or the parliamentary elections, Punjabis have rejected both parties,” he said.Questioning Jakhar’s statement, Warring asked, “With what face would the Akalis go to voters after breaking their alliance with the BJP over the issue of (now-withdrawn) three controversial farm laws?”Reminding SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal about his statements over several issues in the past, Warring said the SAD would have to face the wrath of Sikhs as it would mean compromise on its principals.
Akali-BJP alliance to be betrayal of Punjab’s interests: Congress
