CHANDIGARH: Despite mounting revolt in the party on the issue of selection of candidates for election to the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Akali Dal (Badal) president Parkash Singh Badal is in no mood to succumb to the pressure. He ruled out revising the list of candidates. He said the revolt was the internal matter of the party and expressed the hope it would be sorted out soon.
Party secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsais the senior most leader who has resigned from all the party posts following protest from the workers from the Sangrur district to which he be longs on the selection of candidates plunging the party in crisis. The crisis following the resignation of Kuldip Singh Wadala from all party posts earlier, who was the senior vice president, is yet to be resolved. However, Wadala resigned on different issues. Badal met Dhindsa here Sept.10th to sort out the irritants. The two met alone. Earlier, an emissary of Badal had discussion with Dhindsa for about an hour.
It was decided at the meeting that Badal would address a meeting of the party workers at Sangrur on Sept. 12 to mollify them. The withdrawal of resignation by Dhindsa would depend upon the sentiments of the workers but sources said everything would be sorted out. Dhindsa said he had no intention to weaken either the party or Badal but the workers who had been making sacrifices all these years should not feel let down. Regarding the withdrawal of his resignation, he said the workers must be satisfied first as there was nothing personal in his decision to submit the resignation. SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra also met Badal earlier in the day. Despite the firefighting operations launched by Badal, the resentment continues to mount among the senior party leaders though others are not coming out openly against the leadership. The resentment is against ignoring the workers considered to be loyal to the party.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 11, 1996
