Rebels launch SAD (Taksali)

GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, December 16

Amidst an impressive gathering at Akal Takht, dissident SAD leaders on Sunday floated a parallel party — Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) — with Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura as president. 

Brahmpura’s name was proposed and endorsed by former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, among others. The office-bearers will be announced by Baisakhi. 

Brahmpura, Ajnala and Sekhwan  were expelled from the SAD for “anti-party”  activities last month, as were Brahmpura’s son Ravinder Pal Singh and Ajnala’s son Amarpal Singh Bony. They had launched a tirade against SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. 

The new party was announced after ardas during which it was mentioned that “keeping in view the shortcomings in the Akali Dal constituted in 1920 and the damage done to the sanctity of the SGPC and Akal Takht”, the new outfit, with a secular and democratic outlook, had been set up to “revive lost glory”.

The SAD-BJP government (2007-2017) had earned the Sikh community’s ire for the “flip-flop on pardoning the Dera Sirsa head, who was charged with blasphemy, seeking dera votes during the 2017 Assembly elections and the police firing on protesters at Behbal Kalan”.

Not yet ready for the Lok Sabha polls, Brahmpura indicated that they would fight the SGPC polls next year. Stressing that “norms of appointment and duties of Takht Jathedars must be specified officially”, he said: “Our primary aim is to free Sikh institutions from the clutches of the Badal family and to ensure the SGPC has independent' jurisdiction over religious matters.The SGPC polls are due after the parliamentary elections. If the Badals create hurdles, we will take legal course,” he warned. 

On the party’s political agenda, he said they would fight for Chandigarh as the state capital, for Punjab’s waters and the transfer of Punjabi-speaking areas. Sekhwan said the party framework, based on the principles of ‘Mir-Piri’, would be ready before April 13.

WOOING ALL SECTIONS

• Post-announcement, SGPC office gates were bolted and the task force and police deployed. This led to a tiff between Brahmpura’s son and security personnel 
• Denied space, the leaders sat on the floor. “This is enough proof that the SGPC is a puppet in the hands of the Badals,” pointed out Sekhwan 
• Brahmpura promised due representation to all sections, if voted to power. He said the Deputy CM’s post would be given to an MLA from the SC/BC category. Sikhs residing overseas would be given due place
• The leaders claimed RS member SS Dhindsa was  in touch as were SGPC members Balwinder Singh and MS Hussainpur