Amritpal's father to float political party in Punjab   

Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, today announced to float a political party in the state.

After paying obeisance at Akal Takht, he said he urged Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to allow him to form a ‘Panthic party’.

The MP’s father said there was no regional party to look after the interests of Punjabis and the new party would work for the “welfare of all”.

“We sought permission of Akal Takht to form a new party. Soon, we will rope in scholars to form the party’s structure and its name. Our aim is to float a regional party for all. It will work purely on the issues grappling Punjab,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over infighting, Tarsem said, “SAD just has a ‘Panthic’ name. It can never stand on the ‘Miri-Piri’ principle taught by Guru Hargobind.”

Targeting the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), he said the chief of the Sikh body acts on the whims and fancies of Akali Dal’s president.

“For the past several years, the SGPC president is being announced through ‘lifafa’ (envelope) handed over by the Badal family. Now, the time has come to stop this ‘lifafa’ culture,” he said.

Citing unceremonious removal of Capt Amarinder Singh as CM, he said political parties operating from New Delhi dominate state politics. He added that CM Bhagwant Mann too could meet the same fate.

At present, Amritpal is lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam along with nine of his associates under the National Security Act.