The tragedy which outraged the nation generating a wave of protests and uproar in both houses of Parliament exposes two disturbing aspects of the family-ruled Punjab’s politics: (1) deteriorated law and order; and, (2) Working of Emergency period’s dictatorial mindset. Sukhbir Badal, who is widely viewed as an arrogant Home minister is mainly responsible for the worrisome law and order situation of the state where the police has become a law unto itself acting as Akali Dal’s tool.

The Moga tragedy also reflects how ruling politicians build business empires at the cost of the state by using their political clout. The trend can be exemplified by revealing details of how Orbit Resorts, one of the biggest units of the Badal family’s business empire on the new bypass road connecting Delhi with Gurgaon was set up. The company has its Registered address as Sukhbir’s residence 256, Sector 9, Chandigarh

It is not rare that families of politicians having friendly ties and belonging to the states feuding over inter-state issues, going out of the way to promote each other’s economic interests. It is also not rare that promotion of each other’s economic interests often leads to controversies.

One such case which triggered political controversy in the 1990s was the allotment of land by the Devi Lal government to Badals Orbit Resorts.

On 21 March 2002, former Defence Minister and four-time Haryana Chief Minister late Bansi Lal told me that “in response to the request made by the Badals in October 1988 to the (Devi Lal) government, Haryana State Industrial Corporation (HSIDC) allotted a 71,000 square metre plot on Delhi-Gurgaon bypass road on 14 Sept.1989.

“As the Badals failed to set up the project within the stipulated period of three years, the plot was resumed by HSIDC on 2 January 1995. (Bhajan Lal was then chief minister) The Badals filed a writ petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court against the resumption order. The petition was dismissed by the high court in February 1996. The Badals filed a letters patent appeal (LPA), which was admitted by the High Court’s Division Bench in March 1996. After a series of hearings, the High Court quashed the resumption order in January 1999.

“The HSIDC and the state government soon challenged the high court order by filing SLPs in the Supreme Court.”

Controversy over the issue arose when leaders of the BJP, which was an alliance partner of the Bansi Lal-led Haryana Vikas Party Government (11 May 1996 to 23 July 1999), tried to pressurize Bansi Lal to help the Badals in the case after the HSIDC and the state government approached the apex court.

Continuing Bansi Lal said: “In 1996, (when he was CM) while the LPAs were pending before Punjab and Haryana High Court, Madan Lal Khurana, Delhi’s BJP chief minister, asked me to accompany him to meet Atal Behari Vajpayee in Delhi pointing out that Vajpayee who was then not prime minister wants that I and Parkash Singh Badal should meet Vajpayee to work together to improve the relations as both are BJP’s allies. I told Khurana that I was prepared to come for the meeting but would not discuss the Badals’ Gurgaon land case which was before the Supreme Court. Khurana agreed.

“At the meeting at Vajpayee’s residence where Khurana and Badal were also present, Khurana asked Badal to talk to me about his Gurgaon land case. I told him I will not be able to do anything in the matter as the case was before Supreme Court. Then Khurana said I should ask the Government/HSIDC lawyers to remain quiet when the Badal Company’s lawyers argue the case. I told him since I have not yet studied the details of the case, I will first have to see the file.

“After some time, the BJP called a meeting of its chief ministers in Jaipur. Being a BJP ally, I was also invited. At the meeting Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, then Rajasthan’s chief minister took me aside and asked me to help Badal in his Gurgaon land case. I told Shekhawat how could I harm Haryana’s interests as the land given to the Badals was valued at Rs 250 crore at that time, whereas Devi Lal gave it (allegedly) for Rs 4 crore only? Shekhawat did not then pursue the case.

“The Chautala Government (which had come to power on July 24,1999) changed its advocate two days before the date of the hearing of the case. However, though non-implementation of the project over the plot in question was the subject matter of SLPs, an undertaking was given on behalf of Orbit Resorts before the Supreme Court on 3 December 1999, hearing date of the case, that payment of the outstanding dues would be made within a period of six months and the construction would be completed within two years. The offer was not contested on behalf of the state government and the SLPs were disposed of by the Supreme Court.”

Bansi Lal alleged “The Chautala-led Haryana Government readily did what I had refused to do. This was more like a collusive act on the bidding of Chief Minister Chautala to serve the vested interests of his family friend Badal. Later, BJP which was a ruling partner in Punjab’s Parkash Singh Badal-led alliance government joined hands with Chautala to topple my government on 23 July 1999”.

Land allotment to Orbit Resorts later invited adverse comments from Comptroller and Auditor General in a report tabled in Haryana assembly. The report said “The company (HSIDC) has not only favoured to the extent of Rs.80.94 lakh in the allotment of land for the (Badals) holiday and health resort, but has also violated the guidelines contained in the industrial policy of the state. ……The allotment of land was also not in conformity with the objectives of HSIDC. When the CAG’s staff made queries on the subject in July 2001, HSIDC management said that the plot was allotted as per the directions of the state government”.

The Moga tragedy and Orbit Resorts cases have exposed the murky face of alliance politics. The BJP which rules the Centre and is Akali Dal’s ruling partner in Punjab has maintained silence on the two issues. If corrective steps are not taken the ruling allies will have to face the music in 2017. (IPA Service)