Where does the party stand for today? Has the rival faction, which parted ways, impacted your popularity among Sikhs?The SAD is on an upswing. The party’s recent organisational elections witnessed a record 27 lakh people enrolling as members. This indicates that the Sikh Panth has understood that the leaders who left the SAD to form their faction (Sudhar Lehar) are tools of the Centre. They have lost all credibility. People will reject any attempts to divide the Sikh community and Punjabis at large and will unite under the SAD.After becoming party chief, you alleged that your former ally, the BJP, and certain Sikh institutions conspired against the SAD. Elaborate.It is unfortunate but true; the BJP turned against not only the SAD but the Sikh community also once we left the NDA in support of farmers protesting the three black laws. Since then, efforts are on to weaken and take over Sikh institutions. The management committees of Sri Hazur Sahib and Patna Sahib were expanded to bring them under government control.The BJP captured the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee by alluring office bearers. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee was broken and a separate committee was formed for Haryana. There was undue interference in SGPC elections to help stooges of the Centre.Do you foresee a future alliance with the BJP in the 2027 Assembly elections?We are not thinking along these lines and are strengthening the SAD to take everyone along with us. Also, I feel that an alliance, if any, should be based on principles. The SAD is firm on this. We cannot compromise our principles and our ideology at any cost. We stand for the rights of farmers, minorities and Bandi Singhs even as we want to safeguard our river waters and our rights over Chandigarh. We want trade along the Indo-Pak border to reopen.
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