Reacting to BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's frequent outbursts against the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership, Istri Akali Dal president and MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur on Saturday said he had no moral right to comment on the prospects of the SAD-BJP ties since he had backstabbed his own party.
“He showed his back to his party at a time when he should have stood behind it like a rock and help senior leader Arun Jaitley win with a thumping majority. Jaitley's win would have raised the stock of both the alliance partners at the Centre,” she commented, while responding to media queries at Gurdwara Kalgidhar where she attended a meeting of party office-bearers and members.
She said a leader of the stature of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal needs not to respond to people like Sidhu. She claimed that there was no rift in the alliance partners and they would contest the local bodies elections together.
Jagir Kaur, who was the president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, said the confusion over dates of Gurpurb arose when the original Nanakshahi calendar was amended. She endorsed the views of Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh that a panel of experts should resolve the issue.
"The controversy should be put to rest as soon as possible to avoid further confusion," she added.
Jagir Kaur said organisational set-up of the women's wing would be declared by the end of this month. There was no plan to divide the wing in separate zones like the youth Akali Dal, she claimed.
"The Istri Akali Dal would be organised on the pattern of Shiromani Akali Dal. We aim to reach every household. If women are to seek more representation in the elected bodies, they would have to first organise themselves at the grassroots level,” she said.
"The controversy should be put to rest as soon as possible to avoid further confusion," she added.
Jagir Kaur said organisational set-up of the women's wing would be declared by the end of this month. There was no plan to divide the wing in separate zones like the youth Akali Dal, she claimed.
"The Istri Akali Dal would be organised on the pattern of Shiromani Akali Dal. We aim to reach every household. If women are to seek more representation in the elected bodies, they would have to first organise themselves at the grassroots level,” she said.