Talwandi’s son joins Dhindsa, says Sukhbir lacks vision

MOHALI: Former MLA of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Ranjit Singh Talwandi on Thursday joined the splinter Akali group floated by Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, at a gurdwara in Phase-11, Mohali. Former SAD MLA Desh Raj Dhuggal also joined the Dhindsa group. Talwandi is son of former SAD president Jagdev Singh Talwandi who remained associated with Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal for many years.

On his reasons for joining Dhindsa, Talwandi said, “All these months, I have been noticing the activities of the Badals. Sukhbir Singh Badal has been running the SAD like a corporate office. Now, since Dhindsa is the true leader of the party and I have decided to join him.”

Ranjit Singh remained MLA from Raikot constituency from 1997 to 2002 and was also chairman of the Punjab Small Industries and Exports Corporation (PSIEC). “The junior Badal lacks vision and is running the party like a dictator. Parkash Singh Badal appointed him SAD president without looking at merit,” he alleged. Dhindsa alleged that the entire Punjab knew that the Badal family were hand-in-glove with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh over the Bargari sacrilege issue to save the accused. On July 8, a faction of dissident Akali leaders had elected Dhindsa as the SAD president at a gurdwara in Ludhiana.