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Sukhbir ‘power hungry’: Rebels; SAD hits back
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its splinter faction SAD Sudhar Lehar held separate events to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the longest-serving president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
Patiala
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and its splinter faction SAD Sudhar Lehar held separate events to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the longest-serving president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
While the SAD held its event at Gurdwara Dukhniwaran in Patiala city, the rebel faction organised its event at Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s native village, Tohra, in Nabha block of Patiala. The splinter group’s event was attended by members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) among others. At the event, the dissidents launched a sharp attack on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, accusing him of clinging to power despite having been declared a ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht.
They described Badal as power-hungry for refusing to step down from his leadership position following the Akal Takht’s ruling.
Parminder Dhindsa, a key member of the SAD Sudhar Lehar, said, “Senior leaders of the SAD Sudhar Lehar, including Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prem Singh Chandumajra, and Surjit Singh Rakhra, have set aside their personal interests and put forward the name of Gurpartap Singh Wadala to lead the Sudhar Lehar as he is young and can bring fresh thinking into the party. This is a good example of personal sacrifice. Shouldn’t Sukhbir Singh Badal learn from this? On one hand, all Panthic organisations participated in the event, organised by the Sudhar Lehar, while on the other, one family (the Badals) and their associates were celebrating Tohra Ji’s birth anniversary separately.”
Targeting Sukhbir Badal, Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh, one of Indira Gandhi’s assassins, said, “Despite being declared a ‘tankhaiya’, Sukhbir is refusing to resign. He is responsible for the decline of the SAD. He seems to think Panthic votes are his family’s fiefdom. The Badal family has already amassed so much but still insists on holding the SAD president’s post.”
Prem Singh Chandumajra, another key member of the group, added, “The SAD has become an organisation revolving around one man, Sukhbir Badal. Over the past few years, the SAD has significantly weakened. We could have formed a new party, but we didn’t. We want to strengthen the SAD, not destroy it.”
Fight Delhi, not each other: Bhunder
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami and SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder were among the main attendees of the SAD event.
Bhunder said, “All of Tohra’s actions were solely on the basis of whether they benefitted the Sikh Quom (community) or not. He spent his life fighting relentlessly for Sikh rights and was known for his simplicity.” Bhunder also made a clarion call to all Akalis, including the Sudhar Lehar faction, to focus on confronting Delhi rather than each other.
“We need to secure our rights, and for that, we need to understand who our real friends and enemies are,” he urged.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, speaking at the event, dismissed the controversy over why the SGPC organised the SAD-led function. He clarified that the decision was made by the institution’s executive body and was in line with the sentiments of the community.
This is not the first time the SAD and its rebel faction have held separate events. In August this year, they held separate programmes to commemorate the 39th death anniversary of former SAD president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal at his native village in Sangrur district.
