SAD office-bearers quit, say party veering from its core issues

Amritsar, September 11

A day after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced its campaign in-charge for 10 Lok Sabha seats, Gurpartap Singh Tikka, president, SAD Amritsar (Urban) and Gursharan Singh Chhina, president, SAD youth wing (Amritsar Rural), resigned from the primary membership of the party here on Monday. In their separate resignation letters addressed to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, they cited various reasons including overlooking of Sikh values, agriculture, Punjabiyat and nepotism in the party.

In his communiqué to the SAD chief, Tikka said after serving the party for 29 years, he was not accorded enough opportunities for political elevation. In the present context, the religious ideology of the Akali Dal had been put on the back-burner. Instead, the politics of selfishness, nepotism and business like approach had taken over, he alleged.

Tikka said he had been making political sacrifices mainly due to the affection given by the Badal family. However, some persons close to the former Deputy CM did not like this nearness, he felt. Rumours have been rife that Tikka may join the BJP. However, when asked about this, he preferred to keep mum on his future political moves.