Sukhbir under fire for boycotting House debate
CHANDIGARH : The decision of the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to boycott the discussion on Ranjit Singh Commission report in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has come under fire from within the party seniors and second-rung leaders, who have started questioning the decision taken by the party chief.
After Tota Singh, former minister and close aide of former Chief Minister (CM) Parkash Singh Badal, questioned the move to boycott the House on the pretext that “very less time” was allotted to the SAD by the Speaker for the debate, the latest in the league to criticise the move is former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar, who has questioned Sukhbir’s ability to lead the party.
Though most old guards of the party are refraining from speaking openly against the decision, but in “off the record” conversations, they are candid enough to admit that the SAD’s strategy to leave the House was a “political blunder” and has further dented the party on the Panthic platform.
“By leaking the Ranjit Panel Report to the media, the ruling Congress has already tried to create an impression that the SAD-led state government was responsible for the sacrileges. And running away from the debate has only strengthened their allegations. Countering the Badal bashing on the issue while remaining inside the House would have been a better strategy,” said a member of Parliament (MP), who is also the core committee member of the party, requesting anonymity.
According to senior SAD leaders, the original strategy of the party was to join the debate and question “various gaps” in the panel’s report. But the decision to walk out of the debate was taken by the senior MLAs led by Sukhbir, when the Vidhan Sabha speaker announced 11-minute time limit for SAD legislators to speak on the issue.
“It was an ill-conceived strategy suggested by advisers of the SAD chief that holding a mock session outside the Assembly and ensuring its live broadcast PTC channel (owned by Badal family) would counter SAD bashing being done by the Congress and AAP in the House,” rued an MLA.
Chief spokesperson of the party and Anandpur Sahib MP, Prem Singh Chandumajra, admitted that the walkout was a “tactical failure” of the party.
“It would be wrong to say it was a political blunder. It was a tactical failure and I admit that it has damaged us politically too. All senior leaders are united,” he added.
IN ‘OFF THE RECORD’ CONVERSATIONS, SAD’S OLD GUARD ADMITS THAT THE PARTY’S DECISION TO LEAVE THE HOUSE WAS A ‘POLITICAL BLUNDER’