Patiala Rally: At last, Badal remembers taksali leaders, decides to felicitate them
By Yadwinder Singh Toor
Patiala, Oct 7, 2018: At last, SAD chief patron and former CM Parkash Singh Badal remembered taksali Akali leaders.
Speaking at the party rally here on Sunday, Badal said he has deputed former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar to prepare a list as soon as possible of all jathedars who were jailed either with him or before him, so that they all could be honoured in a befitting manner.
Observers say that Badal thought of felicitating senior old Akali leaders when he himself had to go village to village to muster support for the party rally at Patiala. This revealed Badal’s sudden realization of dwindling support base especially due to inaction on the issue of sacrilege incidents when he was the Chief Minister of the state.
It was pointed out that never before during the past decade of his party’s rule in the state, did Badal ask Badungar or for that matter anybody else to prepare such a list with the intention of recognizing services of the senior leaders for the party through thick and thin. Badungar who was never seen in Akali rallies in the past, was sitting today on the stage of Akali rally.
Notably, three senior Akali leaders from Majha region who had unusually interacted with media a few days ago, stayed away from the rally. They included Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
Another veteran leader and sitting Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Sibngh Dhisndsa too did not make it to the rally. He is still incommunicado since he resigned from all party posts on health grounds about a week ago. He has remained inaccessible even to Badals who had frantic attempts to contact him.