‘SAD now a one-man show, can see its downfall coming’

“Akali Dal tabahi wal nu ja reha hai…,” he said.

Dhindsa, who had resigned from all party posts in September last year, is still a primary member of SAD. Last week, he was conspicuously absent from the meeting held in Amritsar where Sukhbir was re-elected.

On Wednesday, Dhindsa held a meeting with his “supporters” at his home in Sangrur. These, he said, included SAD workers as well as those from SAD Taksali and SAD 1920. While addressing them, he questioned Sukhbir’s leadership.

“All those who are disgruntled and sitting at home…all those who are supporting Akali Dal’s ideology but are not happy with the present working of the party…are welcome to come to our future meetings. I will work for the party while being in the party itself. Party has suffered a lot under president’s (Sukhbir) leadership…like-minded people within the party need to join hands and speak against it openly.”

He said workers will be given a one-year program with the centenary celebrations of SAD coming up in December 2020. “Party will complete 100 years of its coming into existence. I am 82 now. I am not going to contest any election now, but I will work for the betterment of the party till my last breath.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, “The recent re-election of Sukhbir Badal was nothing but a farce…He himself chose his delegates and circle delegates who were further asked to give all powers to Pardhanji (Sukhbir) and later these so-called delegates re-elected Sukhbir. This is against the constitution of SAD which was formed 100 years ago in 1920. The Shiromani Akali Dal needs to be nurtured yet again and it needs to be put back on track.”

A Rajya Sabha member from Sangrur, Dhindsa was at his residence in Sangrur Wednesday morning where he said, “Many people are disgruntled and upset with the one-man show of the party…but they are sitting quietly in their houses. Someone had to take the lead to come out in the open against all this…so I have come…I am still a primary member of SAD…if they want to take any action against me…they can take…they are free to expel me from the party as well.”

He further said, “I was the one who had proposed the name of Sukhbir Badal as president of the party when former CM Parkash Singh Badal had said that he had grown old. But after completing his five years as president of the party. We could see the downfall of the party coming ahead…we objected to many things…but were not listened to at all. Hence I first preferred to resign from all posts and now I have decided to make Akali Dal regain its lost glory. This party had made the maximum sacrifices in the Independence struggle…hence we want the party of principles and sacrifices to be back on its feet again.”

Last Saturday, Dhindsa had attended a meeting SAD (Taksali) and Akali Dal 1920 representatives. “We will be doing yet another meeting after about 20 days in which I want each of my supporters to bring five times more supporters. We will do meetings at the district and constituency levels. We will form a committee shortly.”

He further said, “The Congress is pushing Punjab behind and even SAD is not playing its due role. Hence we all need to work hard to be popular among the masses yet again…People are telling me that the other side has a lot of money (Badals) par jado lokan di hawa hundi hai…udo paisa kamm nahi karda (when the wave is of people…money power doesn’t work).”

Asked about his son Parminder, who had contested the election on a SAD ticket from Sangrur parliamentary constituency, Dhindsa senior said, “My son will do whatever I will ask him…he will walk with me now. He is not here as of now…but whenever he will be back, he will support me.”