E-Paper
Bibi’s ouster: SAD takes tough call to quell rebellion
The sour relations between Bibi and the Badals reached a point of no return on Monday when Sikandar Singh Maluka, head of the party’s disciplinary committee, announced her expulsion and asked the SAD cadres to sever all political ties with her
Facing existential crisis after its worst show in the assembly elections in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had to swallow a bitter pill to quell the rebellion by showing the door to three-time former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president and a prominent woman leader of the party Bibi Jagir Kaur for “anti-party” activities after she remained adamant on contesting against party nominee Harjinder Singh Dhami in the SGPC president election on November 9.
Question are also being raised on SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s political finesse which his father and party patriarch Parkash Singh Badal had in dealing such matters. The sour relations between Bibi and the Badals reached a point of no return on Monday when Sikandar Singh Maluka, head of the party’s disciplinary committee, announced her expulsion and asked the SAD cadres to sever all political ties with her.
The ouster of a Taksali (old-timer) Akali leader, whose father-in-law and husband headed the Sant Prem Singh Muralewale Dera in Begowal (Kapurthala), is seen by many in the party as an “irreparable loss”. “At such times, we can’t lose a senior leader like her. She had worked hard and has been compensated also. The party leadership should have made strenuous efforts to retain her,” suggested a party leader not willing to be named.
“Even if she loses the November 9 SGPC presidential poll, a faction within the SAD would be created which would further damage the party,” said another leader.
The party has seen many upheavals in recent days. It experienced its worst defeat in the assembly elections and number two in the party Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was shown the door. So in such a situation, the party can’t afford to lose more. Recently (Jhundan) committee was constituted by Sukhbir to look into the reasons for the party’s defeat suggested course corrections asking for drastic changes.
Amid voices that the Badals should step down, Sukhbir made efforts to an end to criticism by fixing the two-term limit for the party president, 50% reservation for youngsters in the elections, besides introducing one family one ticket norm in the upcoming elections.
Party leaders close to Sukhbir defended the decision to expel Bibi as they say he dealt with the rebellion with a firm hand to save the party. “All party leaders had enjoyed the power in the past and in the tough times they should stand with the party, rather than raising demands,” suggested a senior party leader.
Bibi, who belongs to a well-to-do Lobana community, enjoys sway over a section of NRI Punjabis. She replaced Gurcharan Singh Tohra as the SGPC chief in 1999 when the Akali stalwart fell apart with the Badals. She again headed the apex gurdwara body in 2004 and 2020. However, cracks became visible when she was asked to escort PM Narendra Modi during his visit to Sultanpur Lodhi gurdwara in 2019 to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, but it is said that Harsimrat Kaur Badal took the charge.
Apart from Bibi, the party’s other tangible women faces who have seen ouster are former MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan and former MLA Mohinder Kaur Josh. Two other women leaders --- Dr Upinderjit Kaur and Harpreet Mukmailpur --- are also upset with the party as they were denied the ticket to contest assembly polls.The three-time former MLA (1997, 2002, and 2012) from Bholath, Bibi remained cabinet minister twice in the SAD-BJP alliance government. She also remained the head of the Istri Akali Dal, the party’s women’s wing.
