Jalandhar Lok Sabha Bypoll: Mann’s fresh salvo at SGPC chief ‘get your name included as SAD’s star campaigner’

This was the second time that Mann slammed Dhami for campaigning in favour of the SAD-BSP candidate Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi for the May 10 Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. Dhami, however, had hit back at Mann, accusing him of playing politics over the sacrilege issue and also asserted that campaigning for a party was the constitutional right of everyone.

Mann had earlier attacked Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, accusing him of furthering the interests of Badals through “the family-controlled-SGPC.

On Saturday, he was refuting the allegations of being anti-Sikh especially after the Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh’s arrest. “I am not anti-Sikh. What have those people who call themselves the heirs of Punjab, done? I follow the tenets of Sikhism in whatever I do. Those people who take shelter behind Guru Granth Sahib, how can they be called pro-Sikh?” Mann asked.

He said the Akal Takht Jathedar had constituted a committee into storming of Ajnala police station by Amritpal and his followers in which the Waris Punjab de chief had taken the Guru Granth Sahib in a palanquin to the site, and allegedly used it as a shield against any police action.

Mann asked: “What happened to that committee? Is there any report? If there is a report, then why is it not being made public?”

Stating that Akal Takht Jathedar was the chief of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, Mann said, “Why is he constituting committees? He should just issue an edict that Guru Granth Sahib’s palanquin will not be taken to the site of protests”.

On Amritpal, Mann said that the pro-Khalistan preacher had been training youths to fire shots and be armed. “Arms were seized (in raids on Waris Punjab De members). Bullet proof jackets were confiscated. Has Punjab not seen the trouble torn era of terrorism before? People of Punjab do not want that their children become terrorists.”

Indicating that more skeletons would tumble out in the coming days, Mann said, “There were funds involved. There was foreign funding. Just wait and watch and you will see the details”.
Taking on Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Mann said that the Congress leader was an “expert of quid pro quo.” He said, “In Punjab, there is only one house, in Qadian, where the ground floor has a Congress flag and the first floor has a BJP flag. The house has 12 stairs. If Bajwa climbs those 12 stairs, he would also become a part of BJP”.

Mann was referring to Bajwa’s younger brother, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, who had joined BJP after quitting Congress.

He claimed that ahead of the 2022 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections, Bajwa had met him met him. “He came to me and said he would join AAP if we declare him the CM candidate. I asked him if I should go and contest election from Sriganganagar (in Rajasthan)”.

The remarks got a sharp reaction from Bajwa who said he “was born a congressman and will die a congressman”. Referring to Jalandhar bypoll, Bajwa said the ground was slipping from under Mann’s feet. “I can see defeat in his eyes. I want to ask Mann that if I had a meeting with him then why he did not speak about it 14 months ago…He is a habitual drinker…these are baseless allegations. I deny them completely”.

Claiming that he was not a person who will switch parties to become “Eknath Shinde of Punjab”, Bajwa said the person raising pointing fingers against him “was with SAD, then joined the PPP, and then joined AAP”.

“He has a quid pro quo with the BJP and he will soon join the saffron party. He will become Eknath Shinde of Punjab. His political boss will remove him after he loses this election. The Congress is inching closer to a landslide victory in Jalandhar. That is why Mann is frustrated and making wild allegations,” he added.