Ace strategist Capt outsmarts Badals on their ‘own’ panthic turf
Thursday, 16/05/2019
https://www.brightpunjabexpress.com/index.php/2019/05/15/ace-strategist-capt-outsmarts-badals-on-their-own-panthic-turf/
CHANDIGARH : Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is an ace strategist, who sets his own agenda. No matter how much he may be advised about things, situations and circumstances, he remains his own adviser, own strategist and own spokesperson. Whether he has to take on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi or raise the panthic issue of sacrilege, he always chooses his own time and probably the right and opportune one.
On Wednesday, ahead of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Faridkot parliamentary constituency, under which Bargadi and Behbal Kalan fall, the Chief Minister announced setting up of a memorial for those killed during the police firing on protestors after the sacrilege. The memorial will be a testimony against the Badals as people have been blaming them for their failure to prevent the sacrilege and the killing of the protestors. For a long time, the Congress was always on defensive in Punjab over the Operation Bluestar and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. And for the first time, the party has been aggressive and has turned the tables on the Akalis, the Badals in particular, on the issue of sacrilege. To top it all, the Chief Minister decided to set up the memorial to the martyrs who laid their lives protesting against the sacrilege. Chief Minister has his own way of getting things done. First he constituted a commission headed by Justice Ranjit Singh. This was followed by the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incidents of firing which led to death of two protestors. And now the memorial to the martyrs,which was announced today, just a few days before Punjab goes for polls on May 19. The Bargadi issue, as the sacrilege incident is known, is the weakest spot of the Akalis. In fact, the entire Congress campaign in Punjab was planned around Bargadi issue.
It continues to remain an issue, particularly in two parliamentary constituencies of Faridkot and Bathinda. Bathinda is the most prestigious constituency for the Badals, from where Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the wife of the Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal is seeking reelection for the third time. She is faced with a tough challenger in Raja Warring, a former Indian Youth Congress president and now the Gidderbaha legislator. More than Faridkot parliamentary constituency, where Bargadi falls, it is Bathinda were people are venting more anger. This is because a Badal family member is contesting from here as compared to Faridkot. The Akalis have already faced the wrath in 2017 when they were virtually swept off the Malwa region. With Sukhbir Badal contesting from the neighbouring Ferozepur and Ms Badal from Bathinda, the Akalis, rather the Badals, are trying to redeem their lost prestige within the party as well as Punjab polity. But, Capt Amarinder is making it really difficult for them, much against the perception created among political circles that he was being soft on the Badals. By setting up the Bargadi Memorial, he has not only established a permanent testimony against the Badals that will remind people of the sacrilege and subsequent police firing, but he is also trying to make their life difficult in the Malwa region, more specifically in Ferozepur and Bathinda. While the Congressmen were much dependent on the Bargadi issue before the announcement of the General Elections, however, the party was not able to build up the narrative properly and aggressively. As also Sam Pitroda’s faux pas over anti Sikh riots consumed quite a few days and lot of energy of the Congress to redeem the narrative around Bargadi. And finally the party has managed to bring it in the political discourse and probably at the most appropriate time. The ace strategist that Amarinder has proved to be, has actually outsmarted his arch rivals, the Badals at the most opportune time and hit them hard where it is hurting them the most; the panthic turf.
