Amritsar: Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura today announced formation of a new political party, less than a month after the Shiromani Akali Dal expelled him and two other Taksalis (old guard) — Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala.
The trio said the future line of action would be announced on December 14, which happens to be the foundation day of SAD.
Brahmpura said the new “parallel party” would be based on Akali Dal’s “original ideology” of 1920, though adapted to suit the “present circumstances and prevailing situation”. The party, he added, would retain the words ‘Shiromani Akali Dal’, but the suffix would be announced soon.
The veteran said all “like-minded” party leaders had been approached to join. “We welcome even non-Akali parties who can adhere to our ideology. The Bains brothers and AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who have old Akali connections, too have been apprised of our vision,” he added.
Sekhwan and Dr Ajnala said they had committed a blunder by not raising their voice at the “appropriate platform”. “With folded hands, we seek an apology from the entire Punjabi community that though we had opposed Badal-Majithia over anti-Panthic policies within the party, we should have placed the issues in the people’s court then,” they said.
Citing the flip-flop decision to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for blasphemy, the series of sacrilege incidents at Bargari and police firing in Behbal Kalan, the leaders accused SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia of causing irreparable damage to SAD. “Their ill-conceived moves have dented the core image of SAD and reduced it to a dynasty. This was the reason it had to contend with just 15 seats in the Vidhan Sabha. These circumstances necessitated floating a parallel party based on Akal Dal’s original 1920 Constitution,” said Brahmpura.
Sekhwan said the party would have a fair approach. “Today’s Akali Dal is hand in glove with the Congress so they could enjoy immunity for their wrongdoings. Prior to the 2017 elections, it was mutually fixed to prevent any third party from gaining power. They had fixed their candidates to oust AAP in Punjab,” he said.
