close_game
close_game

All eyes on Muktsar Maghi Mela

ByVishal Joshi, Bathinda
Jan 14, 2025 06:50 AM IST

Two camps of radical leaders— Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), and another by the former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, have announced to hold parallel rallies tomorrow

The annual Maghi Mela in Muktsar on Tuesday is all set to witness separate rallies by three political fronts in a bid to consolidate electorate support of the Sikh panth (community).

Preparation for SAD rally in full swing at Muktsar on Monday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)
Preparation for SAD rally in full swing at Muktsar on Monday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

Two camps of radical leaders— Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail of Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), and another by the former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, have announced to hold parallel rallies tomorrow.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the 104-year-old party, will organise its traditional a convention on Malout road at a time when its top leadership is facing a tough time after its former president Sukhbir Singh Badal admitted before the Akal Takht to the mistakes committed by the party during its regime from 2007 to 2017, including pardoning of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 2007 blasphemy case.

Sukhbir had to step down as SAD head after the highest temporal seat of Sikhs declared him a tankhaiya (a person guilty of religious misconduct) on August 30 last year. He and other SAD leaders then had to perform ‘sewa’ as a part of religious punishment pronounced on December 2 last year.

After completing the religious punishment along with other leaders, the former deputy chief minister is jumping back into the political arena to consolidate the party’s electoral base (panth and farmers). Post 2015 sacrilege cases the party’s electoral performance has been diminishing.

In the 2022 state elections, SAD’s representation in the assembly dropped to just three MLAs, with Badal himself losing his seat amid AAP’s sweeping victory with 92 MLAs.

Addressing party workers in Muktsar on January 6, Sukhbir had stated he accepted the edict of the clergy to end the ‘political blame game’ against the Badals that had been going on for years.

The SAD leadership is making all efforts to make the rally a big success and Sukhbir, whose resignation was accepted on January 10, had categorically directed the cadre to make the convention an impressive show.

Various political and religious leaders will be part of the Akalis’ rally but the main focus will be on Sukhbir.

President of the Muktsar unit of the SAD and coordinator for tomorrow’s rally Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi said on Monday that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD’s acting president of Balwinder Singh Bhundar and Sukhbir will be the key speakers.

Sukhbir’s wife and the party MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal will skip the rally due to the marriage of their daughter.

“Our teams are engaged to make the convention a grand success. We are geared up for tomorrow’s event,” Barkandi added.

The controversial Sikh preacher and an independent MP Amrtipal is also reportedly going to float a regional political outfit on the occasion of Maghi Mela.

Tipped to be named Shiromani Akali Dal (Anandpur Sahib), the outfit will be rolled out formally tomorrow.

With Amritpal still in jail, another independent MP from Faridkot Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of one of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassins, is working to materialise the new party that is aimed at wooing traditional panthic voters which have in the past aligned with SAD.

Jailed MP’s father Tarsem Singh is another leading face pushing for the new party.

Political watchers said that after being nominated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case for the murder of a Sikh activist, the release of Amritpal from jail may be jeopardised and the development may impact supporters of the Amritpal camp for lack of a direct command of a leader.

Amritpal also heads ‘Waris Punjab De’ and the organisation founded by the late controversial actor and Sikh activist Sandeep Singh Sidhu alias Deep Sidhu has a sizeable following in Muktsar.

Supporters of Amritpal and Khalsa are aggressively using social media to woo the sangat (community), particularly the youth for tomorrow’s rally.

Khalsa said on Monday that the ‘Panth Bachao, Punjab Bachao (save the panth, save Punjab)’ rally will now be held near the office of Muktsar SSP as the previous venue is waterlogged after to rains. The Faridkot MP, however, was reluctant to share the details of key leaders scheduled to address the gathering.

“Wait till Tuesday to know who all would be there on the stage,” said the MP.

Two-time MP Simranjit Singh Mann has also given a call to organise Miri Piri (a concept which means religion and politics go together in the Sikh faith) Maghi conference to pursue the ideology of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala.

Mann called for a panthic gathering as other groups holding conferences tomorrow as “liberation” is not on their agenda.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
See More
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On