Gen JJ Singh quits SAD, says it’s time for party to introspect

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12

Former Chief of Army Staff Gen JJ Singh (retd) has quit the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) after a brief stint of two years in the party. He cited personal reasons for the decision in a letter to Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

General JJ Singh, who joined politics in November 2016, and went on to challenge Congress stalwart Capt Amarinder Singh on Akali Dal ticket in last year’s Punjab Assembly elections, said he had resigned from the party and the post of its ex-servicemen wing with a heavy heart after days of “disillusionment with its functioning”.

“I have been unhappy with the functioning of the Akali Dal and the actions of its leadership over the last year. These issues have been raised across social media, in newspapers, through various protest marches, demonstrations and dharnas. The problems in Akali Dal are the worst kept secret. Everyone knows who the people taking decisions were and are,” Singh told The Tribune in an exclusive interview today.

His unstated reference was to the series of sacrilege cases, the alleged shielding of culprits, police firing at protestors in Bargari and most recently, the Badals’ “penance for unstated mistakes” at the Golden Temple.

The former Army Chief said he would keep his options open as he believed that a political role was important to serve the people well. On why he chose the SAD as his first party, he said the Akali Dal was a natural choice as the party was formed with the objective of serving the Sikh Panth.

“Punjab is my home state. I contested elections from Patiala hoping people would accept me. I had not considered who I was fighting against,” he said.

Asked about his parting message to the Akali Dal, General JJ Singh said: “The Akali Dal should sit back and introspect about what went wrong with it. Even sections within the Akali Dal admit that things have gone wrong. They should reflect and course correct. One is disillusioned to see what’s happening.”

He is equally critical of the ruling Congress dispensation in Punjab, saying governance was suffering.

On Kartarpur corridor, General JJ Singh said it was sad that politics was getting the better of a matter of faith. He said people skeptical of the corridor and security challenges were underestimating the power of India.

“India is capable of addressing any security concerns that may arise from the corridor. We have the capacity to prevent its misuse,” said General JJ Singh.