E-Paper
SAD (Sanyukt) doesn’t rule out possibility of tie-up with AAP
Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Monday did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly elections
Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Monday did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly elections.
“We will think about it (tie-up) when the right time comes. We can’t say anything now. One things is sure that we will never ally with the Congress, BJP or the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD),” said Dhindsa after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple along with party patron Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and other leaders.
They left the Golden Temple minutes before AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the shrine. There were speculations about the two parties entering an alliance in the holy city on Monday.
Earlier, they paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum and did an ardas (prayer) for the party at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. They also paid tributes to the farmers who lost their lives while protesting against three agriculture laws.
“We were here to offer prayers for the farmers protesting against the Centre’s black laws, our party and the Sikh Panth,” said Dhindsa.
The party, he said, was ready to contest the assembly polls from all 117 seats. “We are also ready to fight the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, but the Centre and the state government seem to be complicit in letting the polls take place.”
Lashing out at chief minister Amarinder Singh, Dhindsa said, “He took a pledge by holding Gutka Sahib in his hands to send those behind the sacrilege and the subsequent police firing incidents behind the bars. Nothing happened in four-and-a-half years.”
He said their party’s main agenda was to implement the historic promises made by the Akali Dal as per the Anandpur Sahib resolution, including securing more powers for the states, giving Chandigarh and all Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab.
SAD (Sanyukt) spokesperson Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad said, “Our alliance with AAP will definitely strengthen both the parties. Even people of Punjab want both the parties to fight the assembly polls jointly.”
