Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), a splinter group of SAD, has once again upped his ante to revive his party in Punjab after 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In public meetings, he has appealed to his party workers to be ready to take on Akali Dal and Congress at every front.
Brahmpura, who along with former state minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala had floated SAD (Taksali) party after accusing SAD president Sukbir Singh Badal for sacrilege incidents in Punjab before Lok Sabha polls, has also called a meeting of his party’s district presidents on November 21 to discuss future plans.
“Before Lok Sabha polls, we had little time to decide about contesting elections from all seats. But, now we have time to strengthen our party, especially against SAD for the 2022 assembly polls in Punjab. In the November 21 meet, we will encourage district presidents to make public aware about anti Sikh policies of SAD and Congress. They will also recruit those who wish to serve the Sikh panth,” said Brahmpura while talking to HT.
Brahmpura said he has written to home minister of India for holding Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. “The SGPC election is due for the last few years. Badal family, which has full control on SGPC, has not allowed the Centre to hold elections. We will meet the home minister on this matter,” he said. He added that party workers would contest SGPC elections to free the apex gurdwara body from SAD’s control.
{{/usCountry}}Brahmpura said he has written to home minister of India for holding Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. “The SGPC election is due for the last few years. Badal family, which has full control on SGPC, has not allowed the Centre to hold elections. We will meet the home minister on this matter,” he said. He added that party workers would contest SGPC elections to free the apex gurdwara body from SAD’s control.
{{/usCountry}}The Akali leader called SAD and Congress as two sides of a coin, as both were ‘fooling the people of Punjab’. He said the party would visit villages to reveal the real faces of both parties after the November meeting.
“Sukhbir and Parkash Singh Badal were in power when sacrilege incidents took place in Punjab. When in Behbal Kalan firing, two Sikhs were killed, Sukhbir was home minister. But the Congress party, which promised to take action against in the sacrilege incidents case, has allowed the SAD leader to go scot free,” he said.
Brahmpura had supported Punjab Ekta Party’s (PEP’s) candidate Paramjit Kaur Khalra from Khadoor Sahib, home turf of Brahmpura, after withdrawing SAD (Taksali) candidate Gen JJ Singh (retd). However, Congress had won the seat while Khalra had secured third position. Brahmpura had claimed that his motive was to wrest the seat from SAD, as he had also campaigned across Punjab against SAD.
On Saturday, former MP of SAD, Major Singh Ubboke and his supporters met Brahmpura at his residence in Amritsar. Ubboke praised the cause taken up by SAD (Taksali), said Brahmpura. He also thanked the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, as well as Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu, for opening the Kartarpur corridor.