Banking on Operation Bluestar

AMRITSAR, May 20: President of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, star campaigner for his party in the Tarn T...

AMRITSAR, May 20: President of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, star campaigner for his party in the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha by-election, is banking on “Operation Bluestar” of 1984 for maximum gain of votes, the election date June 3 coinciding with the 14th anniversary of army operation in Golden Temple.

The Chief Minister who has been camping in the constituency for the last two days for a continuous week-long electioneering, has made the “Operation Bluestar” his punch mark blaming it on the Congress Party. Tarn Taran being a Jat Sikh dominated constituency appears to have been responding to the Badal’s gimmick.

It has rather sprung a surprise among the radical Sikh circles to see an ever moderate Badal touching the sensitive nerve of Sikhs which he didn’t pursue even when the SAD was out of power. His approach so far had remained development-oriented, the observers point out.

Story continues below this ad

It is understood that by playing the “Operation Bluestar” card, Badal had put Congress on the slippery wicket. In sharp contradiction, Congress Party is starting its election campaign from Tarn Taran tomorrow by observing the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi as Sankalap Diwas’. Central party leaders like Rajesh Pilot and Gulam Nabi Azad are expected to address the meeting.

The timing of election in Tarn Taran, once the hot-bed of militancy, is considered out of context for the Congress Party in wake of the “Ghalughara Divas” observed from June 1 to 6 every year by Sikhs to remember the Operation Bluestar.

Beside the army action, Badal is concentrating equally on development works started by his government. He talks of Rs..8500 crore loan waiver by Centre and an economic inflow of about another Rs..10,000 crore for Science City and Amritsar International Airport.

Badal, at various election meetings held in the Attari and Beas assembly segments during last two days, had taken Congress to task on deserting Golden Temple, discriminating Punjab in economic concessions and depriving state of natural resources.

Story continues below this ad

In his meeting at Rayya today, he committed himself for overall development of villages where historical religious shrines are located and flayed Congress for sacrileging religious places. He also revealed a Rs..1000 crore plan to strengthen primary education infrastructure in villages. Badal is not touching the issues like nuclear tests conducted by the BJP Government at Centre. “These are irrelevant issues for rural electorate”, maintained media adviser to the CM.

Most surprisingly, the Prem Singh Lalpura episode which had resulted in by-election here is not getting any reference in Badal’s speeches. The political observers said any reference to Lalpura would revive allegations of nepotism and favourism levelled against Badal.

However, Lalpura is not opposing SAD candidate Tarlochan Singh Tur.

since he happened to be his relative. Some of his supporters are rather canvassing in favour of the SAD candidate.