Sukhbir, Majithia decimating Akali Dal, Panthic bodies: Brahmpura
Holds SAD chief, his brotherinlaw responsible for sacrilege and police firing incidents, granting pardon to Sirsa dera chief; alleges they also struck a deal with Ram Rahim for release of his movie MSG2
: Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Khadoor Sahib member of Parliament Ranjit Singh Brahmpura on Sunday held party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia responsible for granting pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a blasphemy case, 2015 Kotakpura and Behbal Kalan firing and the Bargari sacrilege incidents.
The veteran leader resigned as SAD’s senior vice-president, core committee member and chairman of disciplinary committee on October 23.
He, along with former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and ex-minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, had raised a banner of revolt against Sukhbir and had also boycotted the party’s Patiala rally on October 7. The party expelled Sekhwan for anti-party activities on Saturday.
Holding a show of strength in the Diwan Hall of historic Chola Sahib gurdwara, about 25km from Tarn Taran, the veteran leader said: “In September 2015, Sukhbir and Majithia called then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and directed him to grant pardon to the dera head against whom the Sikh clergy had passed an edict for his blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007. But after facing public wrath, both Sukhbir and Majithia again directed the jathedar to revoke the pardon.”
“Sukhbir and Majithia also struck a deal with the dera head for the release of his movie ‘MSG-2 The Messenger’ in 2015,” added Brahmpura.
Accusing Sukhbir and Majithia of politicising religious institutions, Brahmpura said they are decimating the party and Panthic organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
“There was a time when then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Jarnail Phoola Singh had summoned and punished Maharaja Ranjit Singh. But now, the Akal Takht jathedar is being guided by the Akali Dal chief, which is condemnable,” he said, adding that the motive of his show of strength was to revive the glory of the ‘Panth’ and Sikh organisations.
Targeting the duo for Bargari sacrilege and police firing incidents in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, Brahmpura said: “The SAD government let the situation go out of hand just to seek dera votes. The government remained in power for 14 months after the Bargari sacrilege incident, but it failed to arrest the accused.”
“I have been raising my voice against Sukhbir since long. After the party’s defeat in the 2017 assembly polls, I asked Sukhbir and Majithia resign from their posts during a meeting of the party’s core committee, but to no avail,” said Brahmpura
The veteran leader said he will continue to hold such gatherings till Sukhbir and Majithia step down or are removed by the party.
THE VETERAN LEADER HAD RESIGNED AS SAD’S SENIOR VP, CORE COMMITTEE MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN OF DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 23