In a massive show of strength, the Shiromani Akali Dal ‘rebel’ MP and veteran Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Sunday lashed out at the party president Sukhbir Badal and his brother-in-law MLA Bikram Singh Majithia for “ruining the party” while turning it into a business company.

Brahmpura, once known as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’ in the party, has even gave a call to his supporters and party workers during a rally at historic Chohla Sahib village in Tarn Taran district to free the Akali Dal from Sukhbir-Majithia control.

The development, further worsening the prevailing situation in the trouble-torn SAD, came a day after the party had showN door to its former minister and senior leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan hours later he announced to step down from all party posts in a series of resignations by taksali (traditional Akali) leaders.

Already, party’s two MPs — Lok Sabha MP from Khadoor Sahib Brahmpura and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa — have also submitted their resignations from all party posts citing health reasons.

Undeterred by Sekhwan’s expulsion, Brahampura made it clear that he was ready to face any action. “Whoever speaks the truth should be ready to face such things...I will say what is right. The party can expel me like Sekhwan, but I will not hesitate to speak the truth,” he said.

At a time when the Badals are finding it hard to counter the sharp criticism for their role in sacrilege and related firing incidents, the growing dissidence within the party, especially against its chief Sukhbir Badal, is hurting the Akali Dal ahead crucial 2019 elections.

Brahmpura, while addressing the gathering, minced no words to take on the Sukhbir-Majithia duo, while categorically blaming them for Akal Takht’s apology to controversial Dera sect head.

“Sukhbir and Majithia had called all Jathedars (head priests) to their kothi (residence) and plead the case of Dera Sacha Sauda chief. They were pressurizing the Takht (temporal seat) jathedars to pardon the Dera chief,” claimed Brahmpura.

Further, Brahmpura revealed that before appointing high priests, the Jathedars were asked to give their word that they would do whatever they will ask to.

“Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also punished after he appeared before the Akal Takht. But, this practice has been abolished by Majithia and Sukhbir. First, Akal Takht jathedar was asked to pardon Dera chief, and later the apology was withdrawn,” he said.

Calling upon the people to free the Akali Dal from the control of Sukhbir-Majitha, who have made no sacrifices for the great party, the Taksali leader claimed that SAD’s days are numbered.

He also accused the Badal family of favouring the “chor” (looters), while ignoring those who have made sacrifices.

SAD REACTS, SAYS ‘TOTAL POLITICAL BETRAYAL OF SAD BY BRAMHPURA’

Responding to SAD’s dissident leader Ranjit Singh Brahmpura’s allegations, SAD on Sunday dubbed his as “a stooge” of the opposition parties in Punjab, who under the behest of vested interests was blatantly lying and trying to mislead the people by making malicious and unfounded accusations on his parent party.

SAD’s senior leaders and MPs Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra also expressed surprise over  Brhampura suddenly contradicting his own claims of a few days ago when he had said that he had no differences with the party leadership on any issue and that the only reason he was resigning from party posts was his age-related health issues.

“Today suddenly, he has brought up other issues which he had never spoken about either on the party platform or outside,” they wondered.

They said that it does not behove a leader of Brahampura's seniority to talk about his differences with the party leadership over the issue of sacrilege because he had got his own son to contest on the party ticket from a seat vacated by the Congress leader Ramanjit Singh Sikki precisely on the issue of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

“At that time, because he wanted the party ticket for his son, Brahampura pleaded with the party leadership that sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib was not the issue and that the Congress was merely politicising it. And now, suddenly it has become an issue for Brahampura sahib. This resort to untruths contradicts his own conduct in the past,” they said.

Akali leaders recalled that Brahapmpura was in the forefront of the party's resolution expressing total faith in the leadership of Sukhbir Badal immediately after the results

 Vidhan Sabha poll were declared, they said asking what happened between today and his   last press conference in which he again said that he had no differences with Sukhbir.

Saying that Brahampura seems to have some other issues to settle with the party leadership, the leader said that otherwise, none of the issues he has raised is new. “Seven years is a long time to keep quiet if you feel strongly about something. It is not in good taste to enjoy all the privileges of power in the Akali government and also enjoy perks as a Member of the Parliament as an Akali up to this day and yet to turn around and claim things which occurred to him in the past,” they added.

SAD’s other prominent leaders — Tarn Taran district head Virsa Singh Valthoa, general secretary Harmeet Singh Sandhu, SGPC administrative head Alwinderpal Singh Pakhokae, and Shiromani Committee general secretary Gurbachan Singh Karamwala — dubbed Brahmpura as an ‘ace opportunist’ who for decades was accommodated by the party.

The SAD leaders regretted that in the last one decade only Brampura and his immediate family have been given party tickets four times by the party president in 2012 assembly election, 2014 Parliament election, 2016 bye-poll election of Khadoor sahib, and then again in 2017.

“Unfortunately, Bhrampura has suddenly become “sanctimonious”, and is accusing SAD for not doing enough for Sikh rights,” they said adding that this is the same leader who on the historical success at the hustings by winning the second term in 2012 had praised Sukhbir Badal and sung peans that the young dynamic party president had achieved a fete which had never happened in the electoral history of the state.

 Accusing Brahmpura as a deserter of the panth, they said that the reason of his decision to go against the party's interest were selfish as he has been lobbying for the last two years for Sekhwan to be appointed the SGPC president, and unfortunately, Sekhwan does not have the capability and has certain major deterrents which go against such an “pious” office that the senior party leaders had to refuse to accept Brahmpura’s suggestions.