Cracks in SAD widen as sacking of 8 senior rebel leaders rejected

CHANDIGARH: In growing trouble for Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, party patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Wednesday rejected the expulsion of the eight rebel leaders, terming the action ‘undemocratic’.

Dhindsa told reporters that the disciplinary committee did not have the authority to expel leaders. The right to expel anyone lies with the working committee, not the disciplinary committee, he said. “We reject this decision (to expel the eight leaders),” Dhindsa said.

The disciplinary committee was led by senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundur. Dhindsa further said they would call a delegate convention for the election of a new party president and office-bearers to revive the Shiromani Akali Dal.

SAD senior leader Bhundur said Dhindsa did not have authority to stay the proceedings of the disciplinary committee which had expelled eight senior leaders for indulging in anti-party activities. “Dhindsa is a senior leader and should know that the party patron cannot overrule any party decisions,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that instead of advising the party rank and file not to indulge in anti-party activities, Dhindsa has chosen to lead the team of expelled leaders and was acting like a self-styled dictator by trying to override decisions taken as per party’s constitution.”

Bhundur said action had been taken against eight leaders after they did not pay heed to the resolution passed by the party’s working committee. He said the expelled leaders had made their intention to work against the party clear by forming a parallel organisation, without the approval of the SAD president.

Meanwhile, the accused in the Bargari sacrilege case and Sacha Sauda dera member, Pardeep Kaler, has accused Badal of playing “a big role” in getting pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim from Akal Takht in 2015.