Tota Singh roots for return of sacked taksali leaders
AMRITSAR : Former state minister Tota Singh on Thursday said he was for unity in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and that expelled taksali leaders Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan be brought back to the party fold.
The three taksali leaders had together raised a banner of revolt against party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Tota Singh is a member of the SAD core committee that in a November 11 meeting presided over by Sukhbir had announced the expulsion of Khadoor Sahib MP Brahmpura, former MP Ajnala and their sons for their involvement in what was termed as “anti-party activities”. Tota Singh had attended the meeting. Sekhwan was shown the door by the committee days before.
Talking to HT over phone, Tota Singh, a taksali leader and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member, said, “I have always advocated unity among all taksali leaders in the party. I have been making efforts to ensure they remain one. Whenever such development (expulsion of leaders) takes place, I try my best to prevent the same.”
He recalled the days when late veteran leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra was expelled from the
THE FORMER MINISTER RECALLS GURCHARAN TOHRA’S EXPULSION, SAYS HIS RETURN TO AKALI DAL HAD BENEFITTED PARTY
party in 1999 and the efforts he made to bring him back to the party fold. “His return definitely benefitted the party,” the former minister said.
Asked if return of Brahmpura and other leaders is possible, he quipped, “Why not? Situations and faces keep on changing here.” “SAD is not an ordinary party. It is representative of the Sikh community. If it splits, the loss would be borne by the community. There is always scope for shortcomings which we will sort out by sitting together,” he said.