Corruption can’t be ended by cosmetic measures: Parkash Singh Badal
SAD patron, five-time chief minister and the grand old man of Punjab politics Parkash Singh Badal talks to Harpreet Bajwa about the Congress government, corruption and Punjab’s financial condition. Excerpts:
How do you rate the performance of the Congress government?
Feedback from people and through the media is that it’s a non-starter. Barring repeating old slogans and making pious but inconsequential statements, the government has not made any impact so far.
The White Paper on state finances and the Budget paints a murky picture of Punjab’s fiscal health and blames the SAD-BJP government for the financial mess and empty coffers.
This is old hat and an attempt to cover failure. They should focus on delivery rather than alibis. Were they not aware of these finances when they went on a spree of making promises that require finances. The Congress manifesto prepared by an economist of the calibre of Dr Manmohan Singh carries promises, which cannot be fulfilled if the economy of the state were poor.
SAD claims it fights for the cause of farmers, but the Congress government has announced the loan debt waiver to farmers.
I wish they mean what they say. It doesn’t matter to us who gets the credit as long as farmers benefit. But the reality on the ground is different. The number of farmer suicides has gone up since the announcement of the waiver. Why ?
While in power, you said you would give a transparent and corruption-free government. But the Congress government proposes to bring the new Lok Pal bill under which even the CM, ministers and bureaucrats will be scrutinised.
Corruption can never be ended through cosmetic measures like toothless Lok Pals.
Will your alliance with the BJP continue? It is said that before the 2019 General Elections, the alliance will break and the BJP will fight elections on its own in the state.
Our alliance with the BJP is the longest standing political understanding in the country. It’s not just a political arrangement but a social arrangement for peace and communal harmony. It resulted in peace and communal harmony in the state for 20 years.
RSS is strengthening its base in rural areas and cutting into the Akali Dal vote bank.
That is a politically paranoid perception. In politics in a democracy, every party has the right to go to the people. There’s no threat of erosion to our base.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal ran the party like a CEO and wasn’t liked by many.
Sukhbir led the party to two back-to-back electoral victories, something unprecedented in the history of the state. He had the same style then.
It is said that SAD-BJP alliance lost the elections as people weren’t against the alliance but were against the Badals.
The Badals have been in politics for over half a century and we have enjoyed bonds of trust and love with our people. This time too, members related to us won their elections.
What was the main factor for you losing the elections?
The propaganda blitzkrieg of our rival.
SAD has been reduced to third position in the state. How do you plan to regain confidence of the people and rebuild the party?
In the past also, we’ve faced tough times; people wrote us off. Our mantra has always been to go back to the people and understand them. That is what we’re doing now.
You’ve always been Leader of the Opposition when your party wasn’t in power. Isn’t it humiliating that for the first time you aren’t even that post?
The essence of democracy is humility. You must bow to the verdict of the people. They give us such honours, and if once they give us rap on the knuckles, we have to respect that. We should not be proud when we win their trust nor ashamed to receive this knuckle rap.
SAD is the oldest regional party in India and will be completing 100 years. How have you planned to rejuvenate the party and celebrate its centenary?
The party is sustained by an idea, an inspiration, and the people. It is inspired by values that are everlasting and self-renewing . The party’s cadre keeps updating and rejuvenating the party as per the aspirations of the people.