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Jolt to SAD as Haryana office-bearers resign en masse
SAD received a setback in Haryana after several office-bearers of the party parted their ways along with their supporters at a programme in Karnal on Monday and formed the SAD Haryana State.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) received a setback in Haryana after several office-bearers of the party parted their ways along with their supporters at a programme in Karnal on Monday and formed the SAD Haryana State.
The deserters have accused the Badal family in Punjab of having control of the grand old regional party.
Those who attended the meeting are Bhupinder Singh Assandh, SAD senior vice-president in Haryana, Ravinder Kaur, SAD state president, women wing, Sukhdev Singh Gobindgarh, SAD vice-president, Gurmeet Singh Tirlokewala and Kanwaljeet Singh Ajrana, spokesperson of the SAD.
Assandh and Tirlokewala are sitting SGPC members while Ravinder Kaur is a former member of the SGPC. The state has a total of 10 SGPC members while the rebels claimed that more members will join them soon.
“We held a meeting with Sukhbir Badal at Delhi earlier this month and we raised our issues but we did not get any positive response from him,” said a rebel SAD leader alleging that despite having 10 SGPC seats in Haryana and a huge collection of revenue, they have to struggle to get funds for developmental projects.
“Repeated requests were made to the Badals to change the leadership as the party has lost its ground, but our requests fell on deaf ears. We held a meeting with the party workers and office-bearers and all have decided to quit unanimously,” said Bhupinder Singh.
He said a new political outfit like the SAD Haryana State was formed to fight for the rights of the people of Haryana.
Even the rebels have formed a five-member committee that will chalk out future strategy. They gathered at the Gurdwara Dera Kar Sewa and decided to leave the SAD alleging that the party was limited to only one family and that others are not given any importance.
Bhupinder Singh Assandh, Kanwaljeet Singh Ajrana, Sukhdev Singh Gobindgarh, Gurmeet Singh Trilokewala and Inderpal Singh Karnal will be members of the committee.
They said that the newly formed committee will have all the powers to take next decision keeping in mind the interests of the people of Haryana.
The rebels have announced to hold a state-level rally at Karnal soon as a show of strength and they may forge an alliance in the upcoming assembly and parliamentary elections in the state with like-minded parties.
Kanwaljeet Singh Ajrana, who was associated with the SAD for the past more than 10 years, alleged that SAD is limited to the Badal family and all the decisions are taken by Sukhbir Badal. Nobody can raise their issues.
“Badals were facing criticism from people for their failure to protect the interests of Sikhs. They have been rejected by the people and there is anger among the people against them,” he added.
