CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today gave a clarion call for unity and invited all leaders who had become estranged from the party to rejoin it by following the ‘Sandesh’ of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj in letter and spirit.
This appeal was made by SAD Working President Balwinder Singh Bhundar who while addressing the media here after a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary Board, said “I appeal to all the leaders, including members of the five member Committee, to obey the directive of Sri Akal Takht and strive for unity in the Panth by removing all differences to strengthen Panthic forces and defeat agencies who are trying their level best to damage the SAD”. Referring to the Jathedar Sahib’s speech on the occasion of Hola Mohalla, Mr Bhundar said “it is true that there are many references in Sikh history that the ‘quom’ has always prospered as a community when united. We should learn from the past”.
Mr Balwinder Bhundar said he had earlier also appealed to the estranged leaders to join the membership drive of the SAD. “I have in the past offered them to take the membership slips of the party and become part of the membership drive. I reiterate this offer today and appeal to them to take membership copies and get them filled in order to get delegates of their choice elected as part of the organisational elections”.
The party Working President also disclosed that the party would attend an All Party meeting convened by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on March 22 to discuss the delimitation exercise. “We feel this exercise will create an imbalance in the country with States who followed the State family planning programmes being put at a disadvantage. The exercise is also against the concept of federalism with some States like Uttar Pradesh likely to witness an increase of Lok Sabha seats to 150 while there would be a marginal increase in seats of States like Punjab and Haryana”. He also disclosed that the Akali delegation would also give its inputs on the new education policy which would adversely affect regional languages.
Mr Bhundar also disclosed that the Parliamentary Board and Observers also reviewed the membership drive of the party and decided to extend the period for submission of membership slips to March 25. He said the meeting also welcomed the decision of the executive committee of the Shiromani Committee to reject the resignation of Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami from the post of President of the Committee. “The meeting appeals to him to take charge of the post of President again and serve the Panth”. He also disclosed that the meeting welcomed the Sandesh calling for unity in the Panth by the new Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib – Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj besides taking note of conspiracies by agencies to create divisions amongst communities in Punjab by targeting the statue of B R Ambedkar, launching a bomb attack on a temple in Amritsar besides attacking migrants in Ludhiana.