CHANDIGARH: Expelled Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Tuesday claimed that he was 'elected' president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a move dubbed as illegal and fraud by the party.
Currently, Sukhbir Singh Badal is the party president.
Dhindsa had started the 'Safar-e-Akali Lehar' early this year. He was earlier expelled from the party and had launched a 'Safar-e-Akali Lehar' against the Badal family. The rebel leaders in the party had gathered against the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal. Dhindsa (Senior) along with his son and former
state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa was expelled from the SAD in February this year allegedly for anti-party activities.
Dhindsa later joined hands with the party's splinter groups, including the SAD (Taksali).
Proposing the name of Dhindsa for the post of the president, two-time Lok Sabha member Parminder Kaur Gulshan said the Sangrur convention held recently under the chairmanship of the leader had removed Sukhbir Singh Badal from the post of the party president.
She said Dhindsa, a newly elected president of the SAD, will function from the party office in Amritsar.
Jagdish Singh Garcha and Harjit Kaur Talwandi, daughter of former party president the late Jagdev Singh Talwandi, seconded the proposal.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal's senior leader Daljeet Singh Cheema described this move as illegal and fraud and accused the expelled leader of acting at the behest of the Congress. "What they have done is 100 per cent fraud. It is illegal and amounts to forgery. They are doing it at the behest of the Congress,” alleged Cheema.
Former Union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia; Manjit Singh GK, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC); former state deputy speaker Bir Davinder Singh; SAD (Taksali) leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan; ex-Punjab minister Jagdish Singh Garcha and his brother Maan Singh Charcha; and Parminder Singh Dhindsa were present on the occasion.
(With agency inputs)