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Badal talks tough, hints at reviewing ties with BJP

Neena Chaudhary in Chandigarh

The Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Prakash Singh Badal has taken exception to the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed Uttaranchal state.

The Lok Sabha passed the Uttaranchal Bill on Tuesday paving the way for the creation of the hill state, which would comprise 13 districts carved out of Uttar Pradesh.

Talking to rediff.com, Badal said his party and the people of Udham Singh Nagar had been betrayed by the National Democratic Alliance. He denied having accepted the inclusion of the district in the new state and said that a seasoned politician like George Fernandes was not expected to mislead Parliament on this account.

"I am deeply hurt by the statement made by the defence minister, who misled Parliament by saying that I had accepted the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttaranchal. There was no meeting of the co-ordination committee after we returned from Udham Singh Nagar, so how could I have given my opinion?" asked Badal.

The Akali leader said that according to the understanding, after completing its tour of the Udham Singh Nagar district, the committee was supposed to meet on August 1 and prepare a report to be submitted to the prime minister.

Badal pointed out that 80 per cent people of Udham Singh Nagar, including an impressive number of Sikhs, have opposed the inclusion of their district in the new state.

Badal said the Political Affairs Committee of his party would meet on August 6 to discuss the matter. He did not rule out the possibility of the party reviewing its alliance with the BJP, with whom it shares power both at the Centre as well as in the state.

Analysts are of the opinion that with elections to the state assembly just one-and-a- half years away, Badal would be desperately looking for a face-saving formula after being ditched by his ally.

To exert pressure on the Union government, the SAD may ask Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to resign.

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