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SAD meeting post rebellion: Sukhbir makes all-out effort to keep Akali flock together
Amid growing discontent in the SAD, which has witnessed its worst poll defeat in March this year when it could win only three seats, Sukhbir Singh Badal met party leaders who were district-level “jathedars” or presidents before SAD’s organisation was dismantled last month
Amid growing discontent in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has witnessed its worst poll defeat in March this year when it could win only three seats, party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday met party leaders who were district-level “jathedars” or presidents before SAD’s organisation was dismantled last month.
The move comes days after a section of Akali leaders huddled in Amritsar seeking implementation of a panel led by Iqbal Singh Jhunda recommendations, including one family one MLA formula, two years term for the president, and seeking forgiveness for the mistakes committed during party’s rule in the state from 2007 to 2017.
The party on Thursday changed the track as it attempted to push onus on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the Centre for “hatching a conspiracy to weaken the regional parties and defame its leaders”.
“The intention is to break regional parties to spread the hegemony of the BJP which has been witnessed in Maharashtra and Bihar recently,” said a press release from the party headquarters, adding that BJP would not succeed in weakening the SAD in Punjab.
Thursday’s meeting in which 39 erstwhile district presidents participated, was held three days after a group of party’s leaders met in Amritsar seeking implementation of Jhundan committee report, which was constituted after party’s worst-ever performance in state polls held in February when party could only win three seats.
A 13-member committee under former MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan had suggested course-correction after taking suggestions from party’s grass-root level workers and recommended change in leadership at the top level, two years fixed tenure for the party president and seeking forgiveness for the mistakes it committed when it was in the charge of state government from 2007-17. In Thursday’s meeting, three district heads could not turn up due to family reasons.
U-turn on leadership change demand?
The party took a contrarian viewpoint, on change in leadership recommendations, as in a press conference addressed by party’s middle-level leaders – Virsa Singh Valtoha, Mantar Singh Brar and Jundan at party headquarters here, it was said that the Jhundan-led committee did not discuss the issue of change in leadership at the party’s top level, terming it a conspiracy afoot to destabilise regional parties.
According to Jhundan, committee under him had made 42 suggestions and that they would be implemented in due course. “We admit that there have been mistakes in the past but we are committed to correcting them. You will witness a definite change in the SAD in the coming days”.
Later, Jhundan, on being contacted, said that party had accepted to implement the report submitted by a 13-member committee under him. “This includes change in leadership and we leave it to them (the leadership) to decide,” he added refusing divulge more. “We have submitted the report and it is upto the party to make it public,” he added.
The press release added that erstwhile jathedars of the party expressed faith in the leader of Sukhbir Badal and issued a warning that the leaders questioning his authority to desist from doing so or be ready to face disciplinary action. Party had already formed a five-member disciplinary panel under former minister Sikandar Singh Maluka.
Ensure release of Sikh detenues: Sukhbir to PM
Sukhbir on Thursday appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure the release of all Sikh detenues languishing in different prisons in the country even after completion of their life sentences. He urged the PM to make this gesture on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Independence being celebrated as Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
In a communiqué sent to the Prime Minister, the SAD president said the former had made a commitment for the release of the Sikh detenues on the occasion of 550th Parkash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev ji in 2019 when it commuted their life sentences besides commuting the death sentence to Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana to life.
Sukhbir told the Prime Minister that the Sikh prisoners had served the full tenure of the sentence prescribed by the courts. “Their period of incarceration in various jails far exceeds the tenure of the judicial orders and stretches up to as many as 27 years,” he added in the letter.
The SAD president said the detention of the prisoners was a cause of alienation of the patriotic minority Sikh community and providing an opportunity to certain elements to spread discord and weaken the sentiment of national unity.
