Akali Dal stays mum on Bharat bandh call after attack on workers at Tikri border

This was in contrast to the farmers’ March 26 bandh call when Akali Dal workers staged protests at many places in Punjab under the party banner

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) did not respond to Monday’s Bharat bandh (countrywide shutdown) call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in protest against the central government’s three contentious farm laws, days after an attack on its workers at the Tikri border in Delhi.

Farmers block the railway tracks during a protest in Amritsar as part of the Bharat bandh call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the Centre’s three farm laws.

This was in contrast to the farmers’ March 26 bandh call when Akali workers staged protests at many places in Punjab under the party banner.

The SAD leadership neither issued any official statement nor did it say anything on social media about Monday’s shutdown.

Party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said, “We are not taking part in the protests directly as the farmers unions have announced not to share stage with political parties. As far as the attack on Akali workers is concerned, we have already asked the farmer leaders to take action against those behind it. But no action has been taken yet.”

Also, the SAD-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which has been extending help to the protesting farmers at the Delhi borders and elsewhere, kept open its offices that remained close on March 26 to join the stir.

The move is being seen as an aftermath of the Tikri border incident, even as senior SGPC officials declined to comment on the issue.

In a video of the September 17 incident, hair of an elderly Akali worker were seen being pulled by protesters.

SGPC president Jagir Kaur shared a graphic on his Facebook page supporting the bandh call.