SAD Plight: party account still reflects defectors as its own
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ May 2,2024
As per shiromani akali dal official web portal/website many of its former leaders are still holds a key party position, which had left the party and joined Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress.
Shiromani Akali Dal is the second oldest party in India and oldest regional party of India. It was founded on December 14, 1920 at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar and Surmukh Singh Jhabbal was its first president.
With the passage of time, many changes occurred in this regional, panthic party in all these 103 years.
The party remained in power in Punjab for 10 years, from 2007 to 2017 and lost 2 consecutive assembly polls in 2017 and 2022. Many of its leaders left the party after the party lost elections, due to some internal party politics and some eyeing green pastures in other political parties.
But, as per shiromani akali dal many these leaders are still the part of the India’s second oldest party.
One of its senior leaders and former Deputy Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha of India from 2004 to 2009, Charanjit Singh Atwal, who remained on the advisory board of the party is still shown as the party advisor whereas he had already left the panthic party and joined the saffron party in May 2023.
Also, another prominent akali leader Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, who remained party senior vice president and is still shown as the office bearers, was suspended by the party high command. Later he left the party in October 2023. He is Congress party candidate from Bathinda Lok sabha seat for 2024 elections.
Another leader Pawan Kumar Tinu who had also shifted his loyalties from akali dal to AAP in April 2024 has been shown as akali dal spokesperson, general secretary SC Wing, and member of core committee. Now, Tinu is AAP candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat.
Sarup Chand Singla, a prominent Hindu leader of modern akali dal is still shown as the general secretary of the ‘Traders and Industry Wing’ of Shiromani Akali Dal whereas Singla had already left akali dal and joined the saffron party BJP in June 2022. He is BJP president for Bathinda (urban).
Another leader Parkash Chand Garg, who had left akali dal and joined SAD (Sanyukt) of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in September 2023, has still shown as senior vice president of the party. Later Dhindsa led faction had merged his akali dal with SAD (Badal) in March 2024.
Even party has shown Parkash Singh Badal as its patron. He died on April 25,2023 and nothing has been mentioned about his death, anywhere in the website. Anyone who visit party website and read about him, thinks, he is still alive.
“This is never expected from the Shiromani Akali Dal party as its one of the party who remained active on all platforms- public, social media, newspapers, TV etc and this type of ignorance by party leaders are unpardonable. Now a day’s every category of voters visit political party social media pages, websites to know latest updates and these types of misinformation’s is definitely brings bad name to the second oldest party on the country “said Parminder Singh, a party activist.
When contacted akali dal spokesperson Parambans Singh, he said” the party website has not been updated. Thanks for bringing into our notice. I’ll convey this to technical team and will update the same”.
