Infighting over SAD alliance: Phagwara MLA slams Grewal ›

Who is Harjit Grewal to comment on the future of SADBJP alliance? Future of any alliance is decided by the party high command, not by a small leader like Grewal. SOM PARKASH, BJP MLA

CHANDIGARH: A day after Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Harjit Singh Grewal hit out at alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and challenged it to fight elections alone, the saffron party’s own MLA from Phagwara, Som Parkash, on Saturday questioned Grewal’s authority behind giving such statements about the alliance.

Grewal was displaying anger after the SAD, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) controlled by it, followed an Akal Takht edict to boycott a function held by the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, a wing of BJP’S parent body Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru.

“Who is Harjit Grewal to comment on the future of the SADBJP alliance? Who has given him the authority to speak on the issue in the media? Actually, Grewal is nobody to comment on the issue as the future of any alliance is decided by the party high command, not by a small leader like Grewal,” said Parkash in a statement issued here.

Parkash, who is a strong opponent of Grewal and is political guru and state BJP chief Vijay Sampla, said the party must take action.

“I even condemn statements of SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar against the RSS over celebrating the birth anniversary of Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji. Even the SAD leadership should also ask the SGPC chief not to speak against the RSS as the organisation has always respected Sikh religion and has revered Sikh Gurus as our own Gurus,” said Parkash.

Grewal had on Friday told HT: “Badungar termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS ‘anti-sikh’. Then, why doesn’t he tell the SAD leadership to break ties with us and contest alone to get a real idea about its popularity?”