Troubles continue to brew for the Badals with the “expelled” rebel leaders propelling on Tuesday Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa as the president of “Shiromani Akali Dal”.
Launching a new party with the same name, Akali veteran Dhindsa was supported by several SAD rebels who have been shown the door by Badal’s led party, including his son and former Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramuwalia, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee’s former president Manjit Singh GK, Punjab Assembly’s former deputy speaker Bir Davinder Singh, former MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, besides other leaders, including those from Haryana.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), as we all know, is headed by Sukhbir Singh Badal and also controlled by the Badals. The development has come as a major setback for the Badal’s led SAD, which has also dubbed the move as “illegal and fraud”.
The decision to float the new party and “elect” Dhindsa as the new party chief was taken during the gathering at Ludhiana’s Gurdwara Shaheedan. The rebel leaders arbitrarily removed SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal from the party’s top post and appointed Dhindsa as the new party chief.
Having strained relationship with the Akali Dal’s leadership, led by Sukhbir, since 2016, Dhindsa stayed away from the party’s campaigning during 2017 assembly polls, even as his son Parminder, elected as party MLA from Lehra Gaga.
However, as his disillusionment with the party grows, Dhindsa started the 'Safar-e-Akali Lehar' early this year, also joined by his son. The Dhindsa father-son duo was later expelled from the SAD in February this year for their alleged anti-party activities. Later, the Dhindsas joined hands with the party’s splinter groups, including the SAD (Taksali).
Proposing the name of Dhindsa for the post of the president, two-time Lok Sabha member Parminder Kaur Gulshan said that the Sangrur convention held recently under the chairmanship of the leader had “removed” Sukhbir Singh Badal from the post of the party president.
Her proposal was seconded by former Akali minister Jagdish Singh Garcha, Jathedar Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Harjeet Kaur Talwandi, daughter of late Shiromani Akali Dal president Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi, and former SAD MLA Des Raj Dhugga.
She said that Dhindsa, a “newly elected president” of the SAD, will function from the party office in Amritsar. Former Akali MLA Mantar Singh Brar said that the name of the party will remain Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and in case, the Election Commission found a technical issue, the word ‘democratic’ will be added.
Meanwhile, SAD’s senior leader Daljeet Singh Cheema described this move as “illegal and fraud” and accused the expelled leader of acting at the behest of the Congress.
Cheema said that the SAD is a 100-year-old party which is registered with the Election Commission of India. “What they have done is 100 per cent fraud. It is illegal and amounts to forgery. They are doing it at the behest of the Congress,” alleged Cheema.The SAD had earlier alleged that the Rajya Sabha MP and his son Parminder Dhindsa were being used as “pawns” by the Congress in a bid to weaken the “panthic” party.
However, Dhindsa on the occasion said that the party will strive hard to establish the eroded principles of the Sikh politics and liberate Sikh institutions from the “clutches” of Badals.
He asserted that they will fight to solve major issues of Punjab and to strengthen the federal system in the country. Dhindsa said the party will pay special attention to the farming community and work for improving the condition of the Dalits and minorities.
The party will work for the eradication of mafias involved in “looting” sand, transport, liquor and other natural resources of the state, said Dhindsa.