Warn leaders questioning authority of the SAD President to desist or be ready to face disciplinary action
Chandigarh: The Acting District Presidents of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today expressed complete faith in the leadership of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and warned party leaders questioning his authority to desist from doing so or be ready to face disciplinary action.
As many as 39 Acting Rural and Urban presidents of the SAD made this unanimous announcement following a meeting held at the party office here under the chairmanship of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal. While three Acting District presidents are abroad, one is incapacitated due to poor health.
Briefing the media, senior leaders and district presidents Iqbal Singh Jhundan, Virsa Singh Valtoha and Mantar Singh Brar said all Acting Presidents had made it clear that they had full faith in the far sighted and visionary leadership of Mr Sukhbir Badal and that he was the President and would remain the President of the party.
The leaders asked senior leaders questioning Mr Badal’s leadership to discuss their reservations in the appropriate party forum and not to breach party discipline. “Anyone breaching party discipline is not a well wisher of the party and the party will not tolerate indiscipline henceforth”, the leaders asserted.
Asserting that the Jhundan committee did not even discuss the issue of leadership of the party, the Committee members said a conspiracy was afoot to destabilize regional parties. They said it was under this conspiracy that leaders of regional parties were being defamed. “The intention is to break regional parties to spread the hegemony of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been witnessed in Maharashtra and even Bihar recently”. The leaders expressed confidence that the BJP would not succeed in weakening the SAD in Punjab while adding that the SAD would never compromise its principles.
Appealing to Punjabis to strengthen the SAD, the Acting District Presidents said the SAD had always acted as a bulwark in guarding regional aspirations and would continue to do so. “Our agenda is only Punjab and the welfare of Punjabis”. The leaders also expressed their commitment to the federal structure as well as all pending demands of Punjab.
Meanwhile Mr Iqbal Singh Jhunda informed the media that the party sub-committee headed by him had made 42 suggestions and that they would be implemented in due course. “We admit that there have been mistakes in the past but we are committed to correcting them. You will witness a definite change in the SAD in the coming days”
