DAUN KALAN(PATIALA):The former chief minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Parkash Singh Badal, has alleged that the Center is fully intent on creating a parallel Akali Dal and further emphasized that the designs to divide the party would be foiled at all cost.
He alleged that the Center is channelizing secret funds for the purpose and even the intelligence agencies have been asked to work for the division of the party. This is being done to thwart the growing popularity of the Akalis in the state. Badal further said that now that the: Akalis are a united lot under his leadership. He said the unity of Punjabis and curating the masses against the corruption and to bring all Opposition parties to a joint platform so that they can fight out the corrupt Congress regime in the state.
Replying to a question as to whether the Dal would align with the Bhartiya Janata Party he said! that he did not disassociate himself from the process and said that talks were going on. Earlier addressing a huge rally, Badal, appealed to the party workers to be united so that they could defeat the Congress in the coming elections to the state assembly. Without naming anyone, he said that even now there were some disgruntled elements who did not want that the Akalis to be united for achieving their own political ambitions. Badal added that the present state government was adopting ant farmer policies and appealed to the party men not to get intimidated by the ruling government. He also said that a change of government both in the state and at the Center. Addressing the rally former state Home Minister, Capt. Kanwaliit Singh, said that the present government had not paid any compensation to the flood affected farmers. Sukhdey Singh Dhindsa and Gurcharan Singh Duan Kalan, senior Akali leaders also addressed the rally.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 25, 1995
