NEW DELHI: In an exclusive interview with The New Indian on the show Crossfire, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, who has secured a hat-trick of victories in the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar, speaks to Executive Editor Rohan Dua into how and why he was able to defeat two retired foreign services officers (IFS) — Hardeep Singh Puri and Taranjit Singh Sandhu — from the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. He was surprised when he said that he was impressed with Puri’s nod for every request to initiate and complete works in Amritsar despite defeating him in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Rohan Dua: You come from that rare group who have captured a seat where even a cricketer like Navjot Singh Sidhu represented, and Arun Jaitley contested. In 2014, Captain Amarinder Singh also contested this seat, which was a BJP stronghold for years. You’ve achieved what few others have by defeating not just one but two prominent Sikh faces from Delhi, whether it’s Hardeep Singh Puri or Taranjit Singh Sandhu. What do you think is the reason behind your victories against such prominent Sikh faces from Delhi?
Gurjeet Singh Aujla: First of all, thank you very much, Rohan Ji, for taking the time. I also want to thank everyone because this achievement is partly due to destiny, which I consider to be a miracle, and partly due to hard work. The party’s vision is to choose the best candidate, and I’m grateful that people have placed their trust in me time and time again. I believe it’s a multidimensional system that allowed me to win. It’s not just about me; it’s about staying connected with the people, presenting yourself in the House, addressing the right issues, and working on projects for Amritsar. Even when we were in the opposition, we managed to bring some significant projects to Amritsar. I believe these factors played a big role in the people’s continued trust in me, allowing me to represent them for the third time in Parliament.
Rohan Dua: Of course, but if we talk about the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, there was a time when Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was from the BJP, represented that seat. He kept winning from that seat, so why do you think the BJP hasn’t been able to win that seat since 2014? Captain Amarinder Singh won it, defeating Arun Jaitley. Despite losing, he became Finance Minister. You defeated Hardeep Singh Puri, who then became the Housing and Urban Development Minister and later the Petroleum Minister. It seems like those you defeat in Amritsar go on to become ministers. What do you think is the reason for the BJP’s losses there?
Gurjeet Singh Aujla: Well, first of all, it’s a border district. There were some very prominent figures contesting the elections, people who were internationally known, like Navjot Sidhu, who had a strong character, and Captain Amarinder Singh, who has a significant legacy in Punjab. Arun Jaitley contested but didn’t win. Hardeep Singh Puri was also a candidate, and I believe after a long time, the real issues of Amritsar weren’t being addressed. When I came in, I had a strong desire to work, and for the first time in a long time, Amritsar’s issues were heard in Parliament. People like Sidhu Sahib had a large platform and couldn’t devote as much time to Parliament.
Rohan Dua: Are you saying they had other priorities?
Gurjeet Singh Aujla: Yes, Sidhu Sahib was a leader from the BJP, but he wasn’t always present in Parliament.
Captain Sahib, too, was a national and international face, but he wasn’t active in Parliament for two and a half years. I devoted 100% of my time to Parliament, raised maximum issues, and tried my best to address them, even while being in the opposition. It’s tough to work with the ruling government when you’re in opposition, but I was able to achieve a lot with the help of the Almighty.
Rohan Dua: What were the major issues you raised, whether after 2017 or 2019? Was it easy or difficult to work on these issues given that you’re from the Congress party?
Gurjeet Singh Aujla: I believe that when a person is elected, they have a responsibility, regardless of whether their party is in power. Some people in opposition don’t work and later blame the government for not getting things done. But when you’re elected, you must show your skills and work for the people. One of my biggest achievements was with the airport; I worked closely with Hardeep Singh Puri Sahib, who was then the Civil Aviation Minister, to improve Amritsar’s airport. Usually, political people take credit and then criticize, but I’ve always acknowledged those who helped, like Hardeep Puri Sahib, for starting new flights and improving the domestic and international airport facilities. I also fought hard for the expressway. Dr. Manmohan Singh gave many projects to Amritsar, like the elevated road, Central University, and Software Technology Park. But these projects stalled due to state politics, especially during the Akali Dal-BJP government, when Harsimrat Kaur Badal shifted the World-Class University project meant for Amritsar to Bathinda. Many projects were given to Amritsar, but state-level politics often derailed them. I fought to ensure that no more projects would be taken out of Amritsar. We’ve got the National Highway Project now, and I fought to include Amritsar in the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, which was initially skipped during the pandemic.
Gurjeet Singh Aujla: During COVID, I managed to get Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to announce the inclusion of Amritsar, and we’re building a 75-kilometer ring road around the city. Amritsar will be the first city in North India to have a ring road. We’ve been visionary in our approach, thinking about what the city will look like 50 years from now. We’ve also expanded the railway network and passed a new station. Despite being in opposition, we’ve managed to achieve a lot. It’s not easy, but I’ve never hesitated to work for Amritsar, even if it means cooperating with the ruling government.
Rohan Dua: You mentioned that Harsimrat Kaur Badal and the Akali Dal-BJP government prioritized the Malwa region over Majha and Doaba. With Bhagwant Mann’s government in Punjab now, do you see any changes, especially considering the long-standing rivalry between Congress and the Akali Dal over SGPC? Bhagwant Mann has proposed a broadcasting bill to break the monopoly of PTC, the Badal family’s channel. Do you think SGPC should have more freedom from the political dominance of the Akali Dal?
Gurdeep Singh Aujla: It’s not just about freedom; they’ve been wrongfully controlled by the Akali Dal, which has caused significant harm. Look at where the Akali Dal is now. They’ve misused the SGPC, and the people are losing respect for these institutions. The Akali Dal has harmed not only the Panth but also society. The position of authority should be respected, and we’ve always respected institutions like the Akal Takht. But the Akali Dal has exploited these institutions for political gain, and now they’re paying the price. You see their leaders publicly accusing each other, revealing how they’ve looted Punjab and how they’ve misused their power. It’s karma.