Chandigarh, Aug 2 (PTI) Rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala on Friday lashed out at the SAD leadership for expelling Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and eight others, saying such move shows its “frustration” as it is not ready to face the ground reality.
Wadala, a former MLA, is the convener of ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’ (reform movement) and he was also expelled from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The rebels have launched a ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’, aimed to “strengthen and uplift” the outfit.
Unfazed over his expulsion, Dhindsa too slammed SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for the party’s “unconstitutional” decisions.
“We are Akalis and we will always remain Akalis,” Dhindsa, who was SAD’s patron before being expelled, said.
The SAD on Thursday expelled Dhindsa from the primary membership for allegedly indulging in “anti-party activities”.
The decision came a day after Dhindsa took on party president Badal and rejected the expulsion of eight rebel leaders.
The Badal-led outfit earlier expelled eight rebel leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, who revolted against the party chief, for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
The SAD had also expelled Wadala and former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Surinder Singh Thekedar and Charanjit Singh Brar.
The SAD, a 103-year-old political outfit, is facing the worst rebellion in its history with a section of party leaders revolting against Sukhbir, demanding that he step down as party chief following the party’s debacle in Punjab in the Lok Sabha.
Among the prominent faces who revolted against Badal were Chandumajra, Kaur and Wadala, former ministers Maluka, Dhindsa, Rakhra and Sarwan Singh Phillaur, and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
Wadala on Friday hit out at the SAD leaders for expelling Dhindsa and other leaders.
“It (expulsion) shows SAD leadership’s frustration. They are not ready to face the ground reality. Where did they commit mistakes? “Why did people drift away from the SAD? It is one of the oldest parties and has a rich history but despite that the party has been sidelined,” Wadala told PTI on Friday as he was referring to the party’s drubbing in elections.
He said several party leaders suggested many times that people wanted Sukhbir to step down from the post of party president.
“New leadership, which is acceptable to people, should come. Then the way for the party’s revival will open,” said Wadala.
The former MLA said if no step is taken to revive the party now, then its graph will further go down.
Referring to the Akali Dal’s performance in the elections, Wadala said, “People have shown mirror to the party in every poll.” He alleged that people have “lost” faith in the SAD leadership, adding that the rebel leaders are trying to rebuild the trust.
Criticising the Akali leadership for expelling Sukhdev Dhindsa, Wadala said the post of party’s patron was given to the most senior leader.
“If you do this with an elderly leader, then where does the party stand?” he asked.
A day after his expulsion, Dhindsa, a former Union minister, accused the SAD leadership of taking “unconstitutional” decisions by not following the proper procedure with regard to the expulsion of several leaders by the party.
Dhindsa, 88, asked what was the fault of those who have been expelled. They (rebel leaders) are working for the revival and bringing reform in the party, he said.
“What is anti-party activity,” asked Dhindsa while raising a question over the party’s decision to expel him and eight others.
Referring to the party’s electoral debacle, Dhindsa said the number of party’s MLA dropped from 15 in the 2017 assembly polls to three in the 2022 elections.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party’s 10 candidates lost their security deposit, he said.
“What could be worse than the current situation of Akali Dal,” he asked.
“Some people have joined hands to bring reform in the party but they (the SAD leadership) do not like it,” said Dhindsa.
He said the party should implement the Jhundan committee report which mainly recommended a change in leadership.
The SAD had set up the Iqbal Singh Jhundan-led committee to analyse the reasons for its humiliating defeat in the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.
Dhindsa had rejoined the SAD in March this year after he merged his SAD (Sanyukt) with the Badal-led SAD.
Dhindsa and his son and former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa were expelled from the SAD in February 2020 for alleged “anti-party” activities.
On July 1, the rebel leaders had appeared before the jathedar of the Akal Takht and apologised for the “mistakes” committed when their party was in power in the state between 2007 and 2017 when Sukhbir was the deputy chief minister. PTI CHS VSD KSS KSS
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