Disgruntled SAD leaders stay away from party meet

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 27

Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal on Saturday held a meeting with SGPC members and Akali MLAs, but disgruntled party leaders chose to stay away.

To a question on resignation by senior leaders, Sukhbir just said: “They are towering Akali leaders of my father’s age.” He ducked the repeated queries over the matter by repeating the same answer.

On being asked if any attempt was being made to resolve the differences, he stated that they had not resign from the party and were very much part of the Akali Dal.

All Taksali leaders of the Majha region, who had aired their resentment by holding a meeting on September 30, abstained from the meeting. They are Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, Manmohan Singh Sathiala, Amarpal Singh Bonny and Sewa Singh Sekhwan.

Meanwhile, the Akali Dal demanded registration of a case against Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Education Minister OP Soni and the committee members who authored PSEB Class XII history book with “derogatory references to Sikh Gurus”.

A resolution to this effect was passed at the Saturday’s meeting, attended by SGPC members, legislators, district presidents and senior party leaders.

Sukhbir alleged that the Congress government had neither taken action against committee members who had prepared the five chapters recently released online nor withdrawn the objectionable matter so far. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the new chapters.