On foundation day, SAD vows to fight ‘excesses’ by Congress

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 14

Commemorating its 97th foundation day in the Golden Temple complex here today, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) resolved to fight ‘jabar’ and ‘zulm’ (alleged excesses) by the Congress government. Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said a volunteer task force consisting of at least 11 Akali workers each would be set up in every village for the purpose.

Badal, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, along with prominent persons from religious, social and educational fields, were present to mark the occasion at Diwan Hall, Gurdwara Manji Sahib.

Sources said the party had chosen the venue with the aim of rebuilding its Panthic image, hit hard by controversial religious decisions and incidents of sacrilege over the past two years. The SAD had commemorated its foundation day at Akal Takht back in the early 1990s.

Badal sought the SGPC president’s assistance in organising gurmat kirtan programmes in every halqa with a view to strengthening the party’s base politically as well as religiously.

He said the Congress was the country’s oldest party, but it was founded by an Englishman, whereas the SAD was born in 1920 as an offshoot of the Gurdwara Reforms Movement against British rule. He added that after Independence, the party had fought for Punjabi Suba. “We achieved this objective, but Chandigarh has still not been handed over to Punjab as the capital,” he said.

Sukhbir announced to open a party office in Amritsar, besides a museum at the head office in Chandigarh where photographs and other memorabilia would be displayed.

The party top brass said the SAD centenary celebrations in 2020 would be held at Akal Takht.

Sukhbir said the SAD had emerged as the representative organisation of the Panth, thanks to the sacrifices made by party workers.

Earlier, SAD Delhi unit head Manjit Singh GK said there was a need to amend Article 25(b) of the Constitution that recognised Sikhs as part of the Hindu community. He said the Delhi unit would host the 98th foundation day of the party.