I didnt believe Manpreet could rebel… Id been asking him to restrain himself
As the controversy involving nephew Manpreet Singh Badal built up to his suspension from the party,Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal chose to keep quiet.
As the controversy involving nephew Manpreet Singh Badal built up to his suspension from the party,Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal chose to keep quiet. Forced out as Finance Minister,Manpreet too let it be known that his problems lay with Deputy Chief Minister and cousin Sukhbir Badal and that he had but the highest regard for Badal Sr. In fact,for a while,it was believed that Badal,who had got Manpreet into politics,wouldnt let matters reach so far. Admitted to a hospital during the crisis following a fall at his residence Badal,who exudes energy defying his 85 years,finally broke his silence on Tuesday. A few hours before he addressed a press conference,he talked to VIPIN PUBBY on a range of issues,including personal equations. Excerpts:
Vipin Pubby: Were you expecting Manpreet to rebel and publicly run down the Shiromani Akali Dals policies?
Parkash Singh Badal: Not at all. I did not expect that he would go to such an extreme.
Vipin Pubby: Certain top leaders of your party believe that he was bound to take such a step but they were expecting it a month or so before the elections.
Parkash Singh Badal: Irrespective of what others may think,I didnt believe that Manpreet could rebel. In fact I had been repeatedly asking him to restrain himself. Even in the recent incident,I had asked him to draft a statement on my behalf and write down anything he wanted the word clean chit over breaking of party discipline in my statement that day was actually inserted by him. Yet he went on to address a press conference,and I had to intervene to warn everyone against breaking party discipline.
Vipin Pubby: Do you think he was deliberately inviting action against himself?
Parkash Singh Badal: I cant say that he was deliberately seeking disciplinary action against himself. However,a non-issue has been made an issue. I have facts and figures to assert that there was no question of any Rs 35,000 crore waiver. The total Central debt on Punjab is a little over Rs 5,500 crore. The rest of the debt is due to our own internal borrowings,regarding which the Centre cant do anything.
Vipin Pubby: There was a feeling in a section of your party,and particularly those close to Sukhbir,that you had been giving a long rope to Manpreet… That you had been overlooking some of his acts of indiscipline?
Parkash Singh Badal: No,there was no discrimination. I had made it clear that I am not the king who shall nominate a successor. It all depended on the hard work put in by individuals,and the partys desire would be supreme. I had myself worked very hard and the party had made me the youngest MLA and the youngest chief minister in the country.
Vipin Pubby: Do you think the partys action against Manpreet is appropriate?
Parkash Singh Badal: I didnt ask the party to take one stand or the other. The party is supreme and there are senior leaders who take decisions. There have been times
when even I used to disagree with the majority view in the party,but I would never go against it.
Vipin Pubby: On the personal front,it is known that you enjoy a very close relationship with your brother,Manpreets father.
Parkash Singh Badal: We are the closest any two brothers can be. Nothing can drive a wedge between the two of us… in fact he has called twice after the unfortunate developments,and I am looking forward to going and meeting him in our village once I am allowed to travel.
Vipin Pubby: But what about Manpreet? Is he also welcome back?
Parkash Singh Badal: Politics and personal relations are two separate things. He is welcome anytime to meet me. Frankly,I do not mind going over to his place when I am allowed to travel.
Vipin Pubby: What prompted you to bring Manpreet into politics way back in 1994?
Parkash Singh Badal: Interestingly,both my younger brother and I had made up our minds that we wouldnt let our children get into politics. However,circumstances at that given time led us both to let our children enter politics. Manpreet was thought to be a good bet in the by-election from Gidderbaha in 1994 and it turned out to be a turning point for our party. Later Sukhbir was elected to the Lok Sabha.
Vipin Pubby: How would you define your relationship?
Parkash Singh Badal: There are so many fond memories. I recall that when he Manpreet was very young,he used to say that his Tayaji Badal Sr has two sons Sukhbir and Manpreet. About his own father,he used to say he only has a daughter!
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