SAD slams Majha trio for showing devotees as their supporters

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday slammed the newly formed Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) launched by expelled party veterans for showing thousands of devotees at the Golden Temple on the occasion of ‘sangrand’ as their supporters.

In a press release, former minister and SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Rattan Singh Ajnala had committed an act of blasphemy by using the occasion to their advantage.

He said it was even more unfortunate that this was done deliberately. The failed and rejected trio from Majha had first announced that they would launch their new party on December 14, the foundation day of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and then changed the date to December 16 without any specific reason, he further said.

“Now it is clear that the three taksali leaders who were rejected by the ‘sangat’ (Sikh community) after being expelled from the Akali Dal, devised this scheme to give the impression that they had the backing of the Panth,” the former minister said.

Cheema said Sunday’s so-called launch function was a damp squib with no one joining the expelled leaders. “They made repeated announcements that prominent leaders will join the new outfit today but all these claims have fallen flat.”

Terming it as the ‘Congress B Team and Sons Party’ launched by the veteran Akalis, the SAD spokesperson said the outfit was a pawn of the ruling Congress which wanted a front for contesting the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections against the SAD.