Questioning Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s logic in interpreting his criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) being “anti-Sikh”, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sent him a copy of ‘Mein Kampf’, advising him to read Adolf Hitler’s autobiography to understand the dangerous implications of the unconstitutional legislation passed by the central government, of which the Akalis are a part.
The SAD chief was quick to hit back saying Amarinder has once again chosen the Gandhi family over the Sikh community by refusing to clarify if he was in favour of giving relief to persecuted Sikhs under the CAA. “Why has the CM had chosen to learn his history lessons from Mein Kampf and not dozens of books written by Sikhs recounting the state-sponsored Congress programmes detailing attack on Harmandir Sahib and genocide of Sikhs in Delhi in 1984,” said the SAD chief.
In statement, the CM said: “Given the attempts by the Centre to replicate Hitler’s agenda in India, it was important for the SAD leaders to read the former German chancellor’s autobiography before coming out with irrational reactions on the CAA.”
“I urge Sukhbir to read the book and decide whether it’s the country first or political expediency. Supporting the bill in both Houses of Parliament and in the Vidhan Sabha and opposing it on other platforms is unbecoming of a political leader,” Amarinder said after writing a letter the SAD chief which was sent along with the book.
{{/usCountry}}“I urge Sukhbir to read the book and decide whether it’s the country first or political expediency. Supporting the bill in both Houses of Parliament and in the Vidhan Sabha and opposing it on other platforms is unbecoming of a political leader,” Amarinder said after writing a letter the SAD chief which was sent along with the book.
{{/usCountry}}The CM also asked him to explain how his demand for the Akalis to quit NDA over CAA amounted to “subservience” to the Gandhi family. “Or are you trying to say that the lakhs of people out on the streets to protest against CAA are doing so simply out of subservience to the Gandhi family,” he asked Sukhbir.
Retorting to Sukhbir’s ‘saving his chair’ jab, the CM said his chair was quite secure. “But apparently, you are worried about your wife Harsimrat’s chair in the Union cabinet and do not want her to lose that at any cost,” quipped Amarinder, adding that this could be the reason for SAD refusing to walk out of NDA despite claiming to take a stand against CAA.
Reacting to the letter, Sukhbir said he will soon send across a bundle of books written by prominent Sikh scholars detailing how the Congress and its first family had planned and engineered the attack on the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar as well as mass killing of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country.
“I am sure these books will refresh your memory and remove the selective amnesia which has clouded your mind. Please do give the books space in your library and read them also. You will never again give inane suggestions to anyone. This gift of books could also force you to have a change of mind and forsake servility towards the Gandhi family and make you more sensitive towards the suffering of your own community,” he said.
The SAD president said if all this did not help, he would recommend the chief minister go through a story taught in schools – “Andher nagri, chaupat raja”.
“Probably, you would find some affinity with the story seeing which way Punjab is going under your leadership with gangsters and mafia running extortion rackets from jails, farmers committing suicides, youth giving up hope of employment and even the employed agitating for their just dues,” he said.