Majha satraps bare fangs, but only just — ‘no quitting’

AMRITSAR: Amid speculation of a widening rift within the Shiromani Akali Dal a day after senior leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa quit party posts, three senior Akali leaders from Punjab’s Majha region met here on Sunday — but they stopped short of open revolt, while questioning “ill-conceived” party policies.

Ranjit S Brahmpura

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 30

Amid speculation of a widening rift within the Shiromani Akali Dal a day after senior leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa quit party posts, three senior Akali leaders from Punjab’s Majha region met here on Sunday — but they stopped short of open revolt, while questioning “ill-conceived” party policies.

The three chose to call it an attempt to “diagnose” what was ailing the Akali Dal and to find a remedy.

Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, the Khadoor Sahib MP, ex-MLA Sewa Singh Sekhwan and former Beas MLA Manmohan Singh Sathiala met at the residence of Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, a former MP. They said the exoneration of the Sirsa dera head, the Bargari sacrilege and the Behbal Kalan firing had created a crisis-like situation.

Ruling out parting ways with the party, they admitted all was not well within the SAD. “No individual is bigger than the party. We have gathered here to find remedial measures to prevent any further damage to the party image,” stressed Brahmpura.

On Dhindsa’s resignation, he said, “We have devoted our lives to nurturing the party. He has quit owing to ill-health. But he will always be there for the party welfare.”

Sekhwan claimed that key Sikh institutions — Akal Takht, SGPC and SAD — had suffered a blow to their image because of certain “ill-conceived policies”. He pointed out that the BJP-led government at the Centre had tried to weaken Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh with its recent notification placing the city’s administrative control entirely with the UT cadre. “Such anti-Punjab steps will not be tolerated and we will not hesitate parting ways with the BJP, if it comes to that,” he declared.

HOW BADAL SR STEPPED IN TO SAVE THE DAY

SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, it is learnt, spoke with Ranjit Singh Brahmpura late Saturday night and managed to prevent a possible split. At least two more party veterans, one of them from Malwa, were invited to the Amritsar meeting by the sulking leaders, but they turned down the invitation.