Sekhwan quits SAD posts, gets booted out
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday expelled veteran leader and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan from the primary membership, minutes after he resigned from all party posts demanding ouster of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The move comes a day before Khadoor Sahib MP and senior Akali leader Ranjit Singh Brahmpura’s show of strength against Sukhbir at Chohla Sahib village in Tarn Taran district.
Party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the action has been taken against Sekhwan for indulging in anti-party activities. He said Sekhwan, who lost the last four consecutive assembly elections, had displayed opportunistic tendencies and was working to backstab his mother party. He has shown his lack of gratitude despite immense responsibilities entrusted to him by the party, Cheema added.
Earlier in the day, Sekhwan resigned as the party’s senior vice-president and also as a member of the core committee, alleging he was being neglected by the leadership.
Addressing a press conference in Gurdaspur, Sekhwan, along with Brahmpura and former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala slammed Sukhbir for his “inept leadership that is leading the party into chaos”.
They said pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case and sacrilege incidents during the SAD-BJP government have hit the party’s image. “To strengthen the party, it is utmost important that Sukhbir and Bikram Singh Majithia, who have kept Akali Dal in their pockets, should be removed,” said Brahmpura.
Sekhwan was the third senior leader to quit party posts after former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Brahmpura.
After Dhindsa resigned from party posts on September 30, Brahmpura, Ajnala and Sekhwan had raised a banner of revolt against Sukhbir saying “all was not well within the party”.