Rebellion in Shiromani Akali Dal, leaders ask Sukhbir Badal to step down

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar/Chandigarh, June 25

Amid growing unrest within the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over party’s drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections, as many as 60 prominent leaders have raised a banner of revolt against party chief Sukhbir Badal asking him to step down. Even as the rebels today held a meeting in Jalandhar, Sukhbir led a parallel meeting of 96 SAD halqa chiefs in Chandigarh and released a video showing their support in his favour.

The meeting in Jalandhar lasted for over five hours. Prominent among those present were Prem Singh Chandumajra, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Bibi Jagir Kaur.

This was the second meeting of the rebel leaders. The first was held three days ago, with a relatively thin attendance, at Paragpur village in Jalandhar. The leaders said they had decided not to enter the race for the presidentship of the Akali Dal and instead search for a Panthic face to lead the party and bring it out of the crisis. Among a few names discussed for the top SAD post were those of Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Harpreet Singh and Sikh preacher Sewa Singh of Rampur Khera.

After the meeting, Chandumajra shared details about some resolutions passed by the leaders. He said they had decided to visit Akal Takht on July 1 and submit a written apology taking collective responsibility for the pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and for not being able to punish those involved in sacrilege incidents. The leaders also announced to start a “SAD Bachao Lehar” from Akal Takht. They said a committee would be formed with the involvement of Sikh intelligentsia for finalising the name of the new Akali Dal president.

“Whether Sukhbir Badal resigns by showing ‘tyag di bhawna’ (feeling of sacrifice) or not, the new president would be installed in a week or so,” the leaders announced, adding the people of Punjab had lost faith in Sukhbir. “We could win only one of the 13 Lok Sabha seats and lost security deposit in 10 constituencies,” rued Dhindsa.

Sukhbir’s meeting in Chandigarh was attended by his loyalists, including former minister Daljit Singh Cheema, former MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, 33 of 35 district presidents and 96 of 105 halqa chiefs of the party. Sukhbir alleged some “deep-rooted conspiracies were being planned by the enemies of the Panth and Punjab to divide and weaken the SAD by the involvement of some selfish and opportunistic elements”. He told party leaders that he would not allow the SAD to become “a victim of anti-Panth designs”.

In a release, he mentioned, “I had categorically clarified to the core committee before the elections that I could not have an unprincipled alliance with the BJP and betray the Panth, farmers and the deprived sections. I urge the frustrated politicians to learn from Maharashtra where the BJP broke up the regional party, but the people rejected the dummy creation.”

Those siding with him said Sukhbir kept principles of the politics. They also lauded his “resolute, firm and principled leadership” and said the BJP and its agencies were behind attempts to weaken or break the Akali Dal. They also strongly urged the party president to take “a strict disciplinary action against those acting as agents of the enemies of the party, Panth and Punjab by creating dissensions and misunderstandings”. They also said the detractors should not be allowed to re-enter the party.

Others present in the Jalandhar meeting included Charanjit Singh Brar, Manjit Singh, Satwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, and Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan.