SAD (Taksali) urges AAP, BSP to join hands against Cong, Akalis

Speaking after his party's core committee meeting here, Brahmpura said that he had wanted Rajya Sabha MP and veteran leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to strengthen the Taksali outfit, "but it seemed he had some compulsions…" A faction of dissident Akali leaders had earlier this month “elected” Dhindsa as the SAD president at Ludhiana, a move which was dubbed as “illegal and fraud” by the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) on Thursday urged outfits like AAP, BSP, Lok Insaaf Party and "like-minded forces" to form a viable third alternative against the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP combine. “We want that the AAP, BSP, Bains brothers (2 MLAs of LIP), Sukhpal Singh Khaira (chief of Punjabi Ekta Party), our party and other like-minded forces should join hands. We want that there should be a strong third alternative in Punjab," Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) president and former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura told PTI.

"Those who are opposed to Congress, the Badals, we have no problem in forging tie-up with them,” he added. Speaking after his party's core committee meeting here, Brahmpura said that he had wanted Rajya Sabha MP and veteran leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to strengthen the Taksali outfit, "but it seemed he had some compulsions…" A faction of dissident Akali leaders had earlier this month “elected” Dhindsa as the SAD president at Ludhiana, a move which was dubbed as “illegal and fraud” by the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal. “My party’s core committee told me to make a sacrifice and make Dhindsa as party president. When Dhindsa had come to meet me, I told him not to float a separate outfit. I told him I will step down and accept him as my General and work under him like a soldier, but he did not pay any heed. It seems he had some compulsions,” said Brahmpura.

Brahmpura said that his party will continue to work for "Punjab's betterment" and will not support Dhindsa. SAD (Taksali) senior leader Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed said the party core committee rejected the resignations of party leaders Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Bir Devinder Singh, who had attended the function in Ludhiana with Dhindsa, and had expelled them from the primary membership.

Brahmpura said he did not expect Sekhwan to “betray” him and that he was "exposed before the people”. When asked if the exit of leaders like Sekhwan will weaken his outfit, Brahmpura said, “anyway, we do not want opportunists in our party”.

“Our party is strong, during the last two years we have worked hard to build this party. It has its core committee, a workers’ committee, district presidents, district workers' committee, block presidents, we have a complete organisational set up... One or two individuals leaving us for their selfish interests will not affect us,” the veteran leader said. Meanwhile, Karnail Singh said the core committee expressed deep concern over the alleged failure of the government to take appropriate action against the financial crisis looming over Punjab's industries, shopkeepers, traders, labourers and the poor and middle class due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the core committee passed a resolution against the Centre’s decision to promulgate three ordinances on the farm sector, saying these will lead to "exploitation" of farmers by organised trade. The party said that the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, which is an NDA ally and claims to be pro-farmers, should have strongly opposed the Centre’s move.

Through another resolution, the party expressed deep concern over the “drastic hike" in petrol and diesel prices in the country. The party alleged that the Centre was deliberately delaying holding of the SGPC elections at the behest of the SAD.

In 2018, Brahmpura, Sekhwan and some other Taksali Akalis had raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its "panthic agenda" and floated the separate outfit in December that year. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, along with his son and former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, was expelled from the SAD in February this year allegedly for “anti-party” activities. Dhindsa later joined hands with SAD (Taksali) for a brief period.