Sukhbir showers parises on Taksalis as Tohra’s return to SAD

PATIALA: A day after welcoming old foe Jagmit Brar into the party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday received the family Akali stalwart and the longest-serving SGPC president jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra back into the party. Embattled with issues like sacrilege incidents, Dera Sacha Sauda and splitting away of traditional Akalis, Sukbir has been trying to firm up the panthic base of the party, Sukhbir used the occasion to praise all Taksalis.


Welcoming Tohra’s daughter Kuldip Kaur, son-in-law Harmel Singh and grandson Harinder Pal into the party at their residence, Sukhbir said, “Khalsa panth will be overjoyed today. Every ‘Panth dardi’ will have a peaceful sleep tonight as Panthic mainstream stands united as a family again.”

After months of attacking and dismissing the splinter faction that formed SAD (Taksali), Sukhbir said that MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura was “mere pita samaan (like a father)” to him. Brahmpura is president of SAD (Taksali). “I cannot be presumptuous enough to comment on the remarks against me by those whom I have always respected. I hold jathedar Brahampura, jathedar Sekhwan and Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala in the highest esteem and always will, no matter what provocation,” the former deputy chief minister said.

Answering a question on the poll prospects of his party in Patiala constituency, Sukhbir said that the main fight was between SAD candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra and PDA candidate Dharamvira Gandhi, while Preneet Kaur would third. “The false oath in the name of the sacred charan of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji by Captain Amarinder Singh and betrayal of people is going to haunt the Congress in these elections. Punjabis will teach them a lesson,” said Badal. Rakhra would win by a margin of over one lakh votes, he claimed.

Earlier, Badal presented siropas to Harmel, Kuldip and Harinder. Sweets were distributed to all present.

Sukhbir said former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal would be “the happiest person today”. “His wish of seeing brothers’ family in one house has been fulfilled,” he added.

The SAD president said that ever since his childhood, he had observed that for more than half a century, the Badal-Tohra duo had been a part of the religio-political psyche of the people of Punjab. “The two waged long and most difficult struggles together and steered the panth out of severe crises. They even provided leadership to the whole country when Indira Gandhi had imposed the Emergency in the country and had killed all the democratic rights of the people,” he added.