Rebels rally around, say those allying with Badals-led SAD to bite the dust
Say Sikhs will vote against party controlled by a family in Delhi election; hold discussion to form a new outfit and decide to elect its president who will have a fixed term of 3 years
› Such meetings have no meaning as all of the leaders who attended the meeting have been rejected by the Sikhs.
MANJINDER SINGH SIRSA, DSGMC president and SAD general secretary
CHANDIGARH: Rebel Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders on Saturday met in the national capital to discuss the formation of a new outfit that would be representative of Punjabis, particularly Sikhs, asserting that those allying with the Badals-led party will face their worst-ever debacle in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections as the community will vote against them.
Those who attended the meeting included former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and his son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, a former Punjab cabinet minister; ex-DSGMC presidents Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh Sarna; SAD (Taksali) chief Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and his son Ravinder Singh Brahmpura, a former MLA; ex-Punjab assembly speaker Ravi Inder Singh and former deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh; and ex-minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
All were once part of the SAD led by the Badals. Former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, who along with Brahmpura and Sekhwan was expelled from SAD in 2018, did not attend the meeting. Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal and former Union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia were also present.
Claiming to be the real Akali Dal, they passed a resolution to have president of the outfit for a fixed term of three years and vowed to free the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of political control.
Dhindsa senior, who along with son Parminder was recently suspended from SAD, moved the resolution party secretary general, saying this would prevent the party form going into the hands of one family. The two were issued a 15-day notice to explain their indulgence in anti party activities.
GK said they will organise functions and programmes to highlight achievements of the Akali Dal in the past 100 years. “Efforts will be made to provide justice to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and release of gurdwaras from government control. It was also resolved to set up a Sikh research board under the Akal Takht,” he said.
The Delhi assembly are scheduled for February 8, and Badalsled SAD as an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is waiting to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement.
When contacted, DSGMC president and SAD general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said such meetings have no meaning as all leaders who attended the meeting have been rejected by the Sikhs.
“We have started campaigning on four seats — Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Shadara and Kalkaji,” he said.
Sikhs are a deciding factor on 8-10 seats in the national capital as they form 15 to 35% of the population in these constituencies.
Later, Parminder Dhindsa termed the meeting as successful, saying it was decided that the new outfit will contest the SGPC polls but those in the fray will not take part in any other elections.