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NDA to rally behind Badal

By Sarabjit Pandher

PATIALA Dec 6. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre has announced its open support for the incarcerated president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Parkash Singh Badal, and his son Sukhbir Singh who were described as "victims of political vendetta" unleashed by the Congress, especially the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh.

This was disclosed by the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, while talking to presspersons after meeting Mr. Badal and Mr. Sukhbir Singh in the Patiala Central Jail. She led a four-member delegation of MPs to inquire about the facilities provided to the Badals. The other members of the delegation included the Union Minister, S.S. Dhindsa, Zora Singh Mann and Tarlochan Singh Tur. They remained with the Badals for about two hours.

Mrs Swaraj said that she visited the jail following directions of the Vice-President, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where Mr. Sukhbir Singh is a Member. She disclosed that she would submit her report to Mr. Shekhawat as soon as she returned to Delhi and would also appraise the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as soon as he returns from his foreign visit.

The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, who also holds the Home portfolio, is likely to seek a report from the State Governor in the near future, Mrs Swaraj said. However, she avoided providing a direct answer to a poser related to the possibility of imposition of Central rule amid accusations of a constitutional break down in the state.

Elaborating on the support the NDA would extend to the Dal, Ms. Swaraj disclosed that senior leaders would participate in the December 8 rally being organised here to celebrate Mr. Badal's 78th birthday. She said that the BJP, which was an ally of the Dal in Punjab, would fully participate and mobilise its cadre for the success of the subsequent protest programme, when jathas of 101 workers each would march daily towards the Patiala Jail from December 9 onward.

Ms. Swaraj said that Capt. Amarinder Singh must learn a lesson from the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Ajit Jogi, that repression and pursuit of political vendetta evoked only rout and rejection from the people. Listing various similarities between them, Ms. Swaraj predicted that like Mr. Jogi, Capt. Amarinder Singh would prove to be a liability for the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

Ms. Swaraj said it was deplorable that the Punjab Government had decided to treat a leader of Mr. Badal's standing as even less than an ordinary prisoner. She said except that both Mr. Badal and his son were put together in the MPs' ahaata after the intervention of the Vice-President, the Akali leaders were not granted facilities provided to other prisoners. Their meetings with relatives, party leaders and supporters were restricted to just one hour each for two days in a week and they were denied any interaction with other prisoners. She expressed concern that in the initial days, the authorities chose a cell prescribed for condemned prisoners to detain Mr. Sukhbir Singh, despite his being an MP.

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