Badal condemns FIR against Sirsa, claims 'Centre intimidating supporters of farmers' stir'

On Friday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal condemned the registration of a case against Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa. A day earlier, the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has filed a case against Sirsa and others for alleged misappropriation of funds. Sirsa, a member of the Akali Dal, served as the MLA from the Rajouri Garden constituency till 2020. Badal attributed the action against the former SAD MLA to his support for farmers protesting on the Delhi border.

Maintaining that the DSGMC had garnered universal praise for its humanitarian service during the pandemic, he claimed that BJP was restoring to strong-arm tactics to vilify it. Moreover, he also took umbrage at the arrest of Sirsa on Thursday in Bilaspur where he had gone to support farmers booked by police to stop them from participating in the tractor rally in Delhi. However, Pilibhit SP Jai Prakash had denied the news of Sirsa's arrest by stressing that he was only prevented from visiting a restricted area. 

Read: Farm Laws: AIKS Nashik Unit To Protest In Mumbai On R-Day Eve

The case against Sirsa

In November 2020, a Delhi court had directed the EOW of the Delhi Police to register the FIR for purported embezzlement of gurdwara funds during Sirsa's tenure as the secretary-general of the DSGMC. Sirsa and other individuals have been accused of making huge unjustified payments to the tune of around Rs.1 crore for the purchase of tents, blankets and tarpaulin from sham companies. The case has been registered under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. 

Read: Punjab, Haryana Farmers To Set Out For Tractor Parade In Delhi On Saturday

SAD's stance on farm laws

Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the Union Cabinet on September 17, 2020, in protest against the farm laws followed by SAD pulling out of NDA. Incidentally, SAD had backed the farm ordinances promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on June 5. The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party has fully thrown its weight behind the protests by farmers and urged the Centre to repeal The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Moreover, it has accused Punjab CM Amarinder Singh of discreetly backing BJP due to the fear of the Enforcement Directorate. 

Read: Punjab Govt Gives Rs 5 Lakh Each To Families Of 4 Farmers Who Died During Protest Against Farm Laws