More than a decade after the 2015 sacrilege incidents and the Behbal Kalan firing, Sukhbir Singh Badal still finds himself defending the same chapter of Punjab's political history. Every time the Shiromani Akali Dal attempts a revival, the ghosts of 2015 return to the centre of the debate. The question is: Is Sukhbir Badal being politically targeted because his opponents know this remains his greatest vulnerability, or has the Akali Dal simply failed to convince Punjab that it has truly moved on from its most damaging chapter ? As the party seeks a comeback, is 2015 becoming a political burden that refuses to fade, or proof that some wounds in Punjab politics never fully heal ?
2015 की बेअदबी घटनाओं और बहिबल कलां गोलीकांड को एक दशक से अधिक समय बीत चुका है, लेकिन सुखबीर सिंह बादल आज भी पंजाब की राजनीति के उसी अध्याय का बचाव करते नज़र आते हैं। जब भी शिरोमणि अकाली दल पुनर्जीवन की कोशिश करता है, 2015 का मुद्दा फिर राजनीतिक बहस के केंद्र में आ जाता है। सवाल यह है: क्या सुखबीर बादल को राजनीतिक रूप से निशाना बनाया जा रहा है क्योंकि उनके विरोधी जानते हैं कि यह उनकी सबसे बड़ी कमजोरी है, या फिर अकाली दल पंजाब को यह भरोसा दिलाने में असफल रहा है कि वह अपने सबसे नुकसानदायक दौर से वास्तव में आगे बढ़ चुका है ? जैसे-जैसे पार्टी वापसी की कोशिश कर रही है, क्या 2015 ऐसा राजनीतिक बोझ बन गया है जो पीछा नहीं छोड़ता, या फिर यह साबित करता है कि पंजाब की राजनीति के कुछ घाव कभी पूरी तरह नहीं भरते ?
As the Akali Dal continues to grapple with factionalism, leadership disputes and a shrinking political footprint, Simranjit Singh Mann remains one of the few Panthic leaders who has stayed firmly in his own lane for decades. His surprise Sangrur bypoll victory in 2022 showed that his message could still resonate with voters, yet his defeat from the same seat in 2024 highlighted the limits of that support. The question is: While various Akali factions keep searching for unity and relevance, has Simranjit Singh Mann quietly outlasted them by simply refusing to change course ? And despite electoral ups and downs, is Mann becoming more relevant as Panthic politics fragments, or does his influence still remain greater in debate than at the ballot box ?
