LUDHIANA: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) led by Simranjit Singh Mann suffered a jolt on Dec.14 when a big chunk of its Ludhiana unit of the party shifted its loyalty and joined the SAD (Badal) the latters claimed.
These party workers led by veteran leader Thekedar Surjan Singh and Ludhiana (Urban) president of SAD (M) Hira Singh Gabria announced their decision at a well-attended protest rally organized by SAD (Badal) in front of the Deputy Commissioners office.
Gabria who is also president of SAD (M) Group in the Ludhiana municipal corporation had one dozen municipal councilors with him at the rally. They joined the rival dal in the presence of Badal the general Secretary Sukhdiv Singh Talib Singh Sandhu Basant Singh Khalsa Amrik Singh Aliwal Gurdip Singh Bhaini Jagdev Singh Tajpuri and others.
Welcoming the new entrants Badal said this was a step towards panthic unity He claimed that leaders in other districts too were also joining his party as they regarded it the real Akali Dal.
Badal taking to newsmen expressed concern at the demolition of the Babri Masjid and likened it to the earlier Congress (I) “Himalyan blunder” of razing the Akal Takht to the ground in 1984. Observing that the demolition and communal riots in its wake had tarnished India’s image abroad Badal asked the Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao to resign from office by Owning up moral responsibility for this incident.
The former chief minister appealed to opposition leaders such as V.P.Singh and Chandra Shekhar to give up their factional police and urge unity so that they are able to play a leading role at the national level.
Badal denied that his Party had sent any jatha to do kar seva at Ayodhya. He condemned the instances of demolition Gurdwara’s at different places.
Reacting to the warming issued to him by Chief Minister Beant Singh Badal said he was only speaking the truth at protest rallies of his party and shall continue to do so” undeterred by such threats.”
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