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Ex-minister Rakhra expelled from SAD (Punar Surjit), to join AAP today
Reacting to the development, Rakhra said the SAD (Punar Surjit) had every right to expel him as he had already informed the party leadership of his desire to join the AAP.
Hours after being expelled by Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra confirmed that he will join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday.
The decision to expel Rakhra was taken during an executive body meeting of SAD (Punar Surjit) held in Jalandhar on Thursday.
“Rakhra was a member of the party’s core committee and political affairs committee. He has been expelled for anti-party activities,” Giani Harpreet Singh, president of SAD (Punar Surjit), said.
He said the decision was taken unanimously by all the office bearers, working committee members and district presidents of the party.
Reacting to the development, Rakhra said the SAD (Punar Surjit) had every right to expel him as he had already informed the party leadership of his desire to join the AAP.
“I will join the ruling party on Saturday and will remain politically active in the Samana assembly constituency,” he said.
Rakhra praised the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government for enacting the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, providing stringent punishments, including life imprisonment and fines up to ₹25 lakh, for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
“I want to stand with a political force that genuinely talks about Punjab’s interests and is taking stringent and punitive action against the sacrilege incidents,” Rakhra said.
According to people privy to the development, Mann is expected to arrive at Rakhra’s residence in Patiala on Saturday to formally induct him in the party fold.
A two-time MLA from Samana, Rakhra’s entry into the AAP could trigger political ripples in the constituency, currently represented by AAP MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra.
Rakhra is the younger brother of US-based businessman Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, who was considered one of the main funders of the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Akali Dal. He served as revenue and rehabilitation minister in the SAD-BJP government led by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal from 2007 to 2017.
After parting ways with the Sukhbir-led Shiromani Akali Dal following differences with the former deputy chief minister, Rakhra was among the first to regroup disgruntled leaders before forming the SAD (Punar Surjit) as its founder member last year.
Giani Harpreet hits out at Sukhbir
Giani Harpreet Singh alleged that Sukhbir Singh Badal, while remaining behind the scenes, has pushed Akal Takht into a direct confrontation with the government over the newly enacted anti-sacrilege law.
“Despite being in power for a long time, the Badal government failed to enact a law that could effectively stop sacrilege incidents in Punjab. Now that the Bhagwant Mann government has passed a weak law, which is full of flaws, instead of fighting for the removal of the contentious clauses, Sukhbir is using the jathedar of Akal Takht to confront the state government,” he said.
