The AAP-led government in Punjab appears to be walking a tightrope, with simmering controversies raising questions about its role in straining Centre-State relations.
The damage inflicted on a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Amritsar has unleashed a chain of events that underscores the fragility of Punjab’s political fabric. While the immediate outrage stemmed from an isolated act of vandalism by a youth, the political ripples extend far beyond. The incident has drawn Dalit organizations, opposition parties, and even the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) into its vortex, each interpreting the episode in ways that align with their own narratives. At the center of this turbulence is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose leadership now faces mounting scrutiny over whether it is fanning these flames in a bid to disturb Centre-State relations.
The episode began with the arrest of Akash Singh, a young man from the Scheduled Caste community, who brazenly damaged the statue and a replica of the Constitution on Amritsar’s Heritage Street. His actions sparked widespread protests from Dalit organizations, culminating in a citywide bandh. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s immediate condemnation and promise of strict action were swift, but the deeper political undertones were hard to ignore. The protests, which brought traffic to a standstill in key cities like Amritsar and Jalandhar, served as a potent reminder of the volatile social undercurrents in Punjab.
Adding fuel to the fire, former BJP Union Minister Vijay Sampla’s remarks linking the vandalism to the Golden Temple area drew sharp rebuttals from Sikh leaders, including the SGPC.
However, it is the broader question of Centre-State dynamics that looms large over this incident. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s recent outburst over the replacement of Punjab Police personnel in his security detail with Gujarat Police officers raises eyebrows. The deployment of Gujarat personnel, part of routine Election Commission protocols ahead of Delhi’s municipal polls, was publicly criticized by Kejriwal, who questioned the timing and intent behind the move. While Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi defended the deployment as standard procedure, Kejriwal’s selective targeting of Gujarat betrays a deeper strategy to fan regional insecurities.
This is not the first time Punjab has found itself at the heart of a Centre-State controversy. In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy was stranded on a highway for over 20 minutes during a visit to Punjab, prompting accusations of a security lapse by the then-Congress government. The BJP at the time had claimed the breach reflected “murderous intentions,” a charge that then Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had vehemently denied. Visuals of the Prime Minister’s armoured convoy surrounded by Special Protection Group personnel remain a stark reminder of the precariousness of security arrangements in the state.
Punjab’s political leadership, whether under Congress or AAP, has shown a proclivity for positioning itself as a bulwark against perceived central overreach. This posture, while electorally advantageous in a state with a strong federalist ethos, risks deepening divisions between Punjab and the Union government. AAP’s governance style, marked by frequent clashes with the Centre, appears to thrive on such confrontations. The Ambedkar statue controversy, while seemingly unrelated to these broader tensions, has been opportunistically weaponized by political actors to amplify their grievances.
The sight of protests disrupting daily life in Amritsar and Jalandhar, and the spectacle of political leaders trading barbs over procedural deployments, detracts from pressing governance challenges. Punjab continues to grapple with economic stagnation, drug abuse and a precarious fiscal situation, all of which demand cooperative federalism rather than conflict.
For the AAP, which governs both Punjab and Delhi, the challenge lies in balancing its populist instincts with the responsibilities of governance. Repeated confrontations with the Centre risks eroding its credibility as a party capable of delivering on its promises. The incidents in Punjab, from the statue vandalism to the controversy over security protocols, highlight the need for mature leadership that prioritizes stability over spectacle.
Kommentare