Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) move to stay away from the debate on Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the cases of sacrilege and firing incidents has come under the criticism from its own veterans.
Called to pull the party out of troubled waters after being cornered on the issue for alleged involvement of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the ‘taksali’ leaders on Friday were in unison to question the party MlAs’ decision to walk out of the crucial debate on the report in Vidhan Sabha instead of staying back and fight.
Former minister and firebrand Akali leader Tota Singh minced no words to say that the legislators, including SAD president Sukhbir Badal, should have participated in the debate and contested the “derogatory” words used against the party’s patron senior Badal, who was the main target for the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The criticism from within, and that too from the old guard, came on the day the party president Sukhbir Badal has setup a seven-member panel to mobilise and coordinate with ‘taksali’ Akali workers and leaders at the grass-root level and their families — primarily to counter the growing resentment against the party, and to win back the disgruntled panthic vote-bank.
The report by Justice (retired) Ranjit Singh Commission, into the sacrilege cases, has put the then Chief Minister in a dock for his role in Behbal Kalan firing incident. MlAs from both the ruling Congress and the main opposition AAP, during the debate on report in the Vidhan Sabha, were unanimous in seeking strict action against senior Badal, besides other officers and cops, named in the report for not handling the situation that led to two deaths.
With this, the Congress has succeeded in harming the panthic vote-bank of the Akali Dal, besides driving the Sikh voters away from the party ahead 2019 parliamentary elections. And why not! Sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikhs’ holy book which is considered to be a living guru — is one of the most sensitive issues related to the community.
Jumping into a damage-control mode, the SAD wanted to handover the baton to its veterans, who, in turn, questioned the functioning of the “young” leadership.
“Even as the party was given just 14 minutes to participate in the debate, which was the reason the MlAs decided to walk out, but I feel that they should have stayed back and defended the party and the party patron Parkash Singh Badal who is the main target during the discussion,” said Tota Singh.
He added that if the party would have stayed in the House, “they could have defended the party and got expunged the derogatory words used against the party and Badal”.
Saying that it was his personal views that he had also put forth during the core committee meeting a day before, Tota Singh claimed that he had even sent a message to the party president to go inside the House, which somehow went unheard.
Besides Tota Singh, party MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan had also questioned the move during the core group meeting, held on Thursday.
It has been learnt that the senior leaders observed that how the young MlAs failed to defend the party, and how the Congress managed to gain from the entire episode.
PANEl TO MOBIlISE TAKSAlI AKAlIS
To improve coordination with traditional Akali workers and war horses, SAD president Sukhbir Badal has formed a seven-member committee to mobilise and coordinate with ‘taksali’ Akali workers and leaders at the grass-root level and their families.
Headed by the party's secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, the committee will have
Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Tota Singh and Bibi Jagir Kaur as members.
“The initiative is aimed at improving coordination with traditional Akali workers and war horses considered the soul and the backbone of the party,” said party's spokesperson
Harcharan Bains, adding that the would visit taksali workers and leaders at the grassroots level throughout the state.
Apart from getting feedback from local workers and leaders, the panel would also listen to the problems being faced by them and address their grievances wherever these come to light, he said.
Bains said that the SAD president is keen that the party should benefit by the wisdom and experience of its old warhorses. Apart from ensuring regular interaction with old and traditional workers, Sukhbri believed that the services of these workers and leaders should be duly recognised.
“Accordingly, the panel will prepare lists of Taksali Akali workers who would be honoured by former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal and other senior leaders of the party,” he said.
The panel will also collect database and document the role and contribution of old and traditional Akali soldiers and their families, said Bains adding that special focus will be placed on the sacrifices made by them for the cause of Khalsa Panth and for Punjab's interests, including their participation in various struggles and agitations launched by the party in the past, such as the Dharamyudh Morcha.