Fresh trouble brews for Badals as Sukhdev Dhindsa raises banner of revolt

Fresh trouble has started brewing for the Badals in Punjab as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s name added to a long list of detractors of former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his family.

The ‘rebels’ want to ‘overthrow’ the Badals and free the Sikh shrines from the family’s influence.

The leaders have stressed on the need to wrest control of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) and the party from the Badal family. The detractors have joined hands to mobilize like-minded Sikh outfits and the community. The unrest in the ranks of the party flared up in the wake of Sukhbir Singh Badal’s “election” as the SAD president consecutively for the third time on December 14.

Resentment had been prevailing among senior and old guards of the party against the Badal dynasty in the party. Sounds of protest have started getting louder among the party members for the last couple of years who raised their voice against the way the party was functioning under Sukhbir Badal’s command.

Last year on December 16, SAD faced a major embarrassment when a group of Akali leaders comprising Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala, Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Ravindra Singh Arahampura, Amarpal Singh alias Boni, who were expelled from the party for anti-party activities, formed Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali), in Amritsar.

The leaders accused the Badals of misusing their power for personal gains. They further had alleged that Badals flouted norms and misused religion for political gains.

Raising banner of revolt against the Badals, senior Akali leader and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, joined the Taksali leaders and attended a parallel function organised by the detractors to mark the 99th foundation day of Akali Dal in Amritsar on December 14.

Dhindsa said that under the Badals, dissent in SAD was not tolerated. “We will remain in the SAD, but it will not be the same Akali Dal. We will reform it. There had been efforts to overthrow the Badals earlier too, but all failed as motives were solely political and not religious,” he said, stressing at the need to wrest control of the SGPC and SAD from the Badal family.

He said that the SAD leaders who are not happy with the way the party is functioning under Sukhbir Singh Badal, will soon form a committee to decide future course of action. A coordinating committee will also be formed to reach out to maximum people, he added.

Former DSGMC chief, Manjit Singh GK, won last gurdwara elections in Delhi and avoided displaying pictures of the Badal family on campaign material. Badal group backed candidates in the next gurdwara elections would be shown the doors, he added.

Another senior Akali leader Paramjit Singh Sarna, a former two-time DSGMC president, urged all factions to join them in performing “ardas” at Nankana Sahib Gurdwara to “free gurdwaras from the family”.

Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Ex-SGPC general secretary, also accused the Badal family of looting the Panth. “All charitable and educational trusts of the community are under the control of Badals,” he alleged.

On December 14 (Saturday), Sukhbir Singh Badal was re-elected president of the SAD for the third time consecutively in an election meeting held at the Golden Temple complex. The party chief patron and his father Parkash Singh Badal could not make it to the election process for health reasons.

Significantly, Dhindsa also distanced himself from the election process, though he was in Amritsar who attend a “parallel” programme at a separate venue in the city. His son and former Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa too did not turn up.