As the ruling Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) jostled to take credit for the Kartarpur corridor project, unruly scenes marred the foundation-laying event at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur on Monday.
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An unseemly spat broke out over a plaque that included the name of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Union Minister Harsimrat Badal.
Punjab’s Prisons Minister and local MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa objected to the names of the SAD leaders, saying “Badals made no contribution in getting clearance for the Kartarpur Corridor”.
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Annoyed over the inclusion of SAD leaders’ names, hours before the ceremony, Mr. Randhawa put a black tape over his own name, besides the names of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab PWD Minister Vijay Singla as a mark of ‘protest.’ Later, the plaque was replaced by a digital display.
“Akali Dal had been in power in the State for many years. All these years they never took up the Kartarpur issue seriously. Now they are making attempts to take credit for it as they are an alliance partner with the BJP in the Centre,” said Mr. Randhawa. Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and the Punjab Chief Minister laid the digital foundation stone of a road project that will link the Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan by pressing a button.
An animated Mr. Randhawa even went up to Mr. Venkaiah Naidu to complain about the ‘Badals’ claiming credit.
As tension was palpable on stage throughout between leaders of all the parties, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari went behind the stage to persuade Mr. Sukhbir Badal to come on the dais. Then Capt. Amarinder stopped proceedings to bring Punjab Congress president and Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur Sunil Jakhar on stage.
Shiromani Akali Dal accused the Congress party and Mr. Randhawa of indulging in cheap politics by defacing the Kartarpur corridor foundation stone even before start of the foundation stone laying ceremony.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said “Mr. Randhawa’s action was shocking and shameful and totally unbecoming of a Sikh and a Punjab government minister. No Sikh would try to politicise and spoil such a solemn occasion associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji by performing such an abominable act,” he alleged in a statement, after the event.
The Congress and SAD leaders, who jostled for space on stage, also took the opportunity to hit out at each other.
When Harsimrat Badal launched a veiled attack on the Congress by raising the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, the Congress leaders and workers resorted to sloganeering. Congress MP Sunil Jakhar accused the SAD of making Punjab a drug hub. Akali leaders shouted slogans throughout the ceremony before walking out.
Separately, Mrs. Harsimrat went on to twitter to claim credit for the corridor, saying ''@AkaliDal got the Kartarpur corridor resolution passed in Punjab Assembly. in 2010. But, Cong govt at the Centre then & in 2017 Shashi Tharoor-led committee tried to deny the corridor. Now, our efforts fructified with the Cabinet decision to open up the corridor.”