{ SAD parliamentary board} ‘Not enough’: rebels press for sweeping changes

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) rebel group’s praesidium formed to strengthen ‘Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’ on Wednesday paid obeisance at Golden Temple and said the formation of the parliamentary board as per recommendations of the Jhundan committee report will not get desired results until there is a change in leadership at the top.
The rebel group led by the convener and former Nakodar MLA Gurpartpap Singh Wadala, paid obeisance at Golden Temple and then held the meeting at Dera of Kar Sewa Baba Bhuri Wale here to chalk out their next course of action. Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Charanjit Singh Brar, Gaganjit Singh Barnala, Sucha Singh Chhotepur and Bhai Manjit Singh were present at the meeting.
“Formation of the parliamentary board was one of the recommendations of the Jhundan committee report. They are implementing this recommendation when parliamentary polls have passed. Secondly, the top most recommendation was a change of leadership that starts from the top post of the party. Without the change of leadership, the implementation of other recommendations will not yield any positive result,” Wadala said. SAD had formed a 13-member committee under senior leader Iqbal Singh Jhundan to suggest a course correction after the party faced a crushing defeat in the 2017 assembly polls. In a 20-page report, the committee had made 42 suggestions including changes in the top leadership and left it to the senior leaders to make a call.
Wadala said: “They (Sukhbir Singh Badal) implement what is suited to them. They opt for a pick-and-choose policy. In such a situation, the party cannot be revived. People have turned wiser now. They understand everything. They cannot be befooled”.
Wadala said that Wednesday’s meeting was held to discuss and give shape to the ‘Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’. “While running this drive, we will approach all the organisations and traditional sects of the Sikh panth to seek their cooperation. We will go along with the Sikh intellectuals and other community members who are concerned with panthic interests,” he said.