Punjab: Congress leader Kuldeep Sahota joins SAD

In a major blow to the Congress party, its state secretary and chairman of Rashtriya Valmiki Sabha, Kuldeep Sahota along with his supporters joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of its president Sukhbir Singh Badal here on Wednesday.

According to a statement, SAD president Badal has assured him that he would be accorded both respect and responsibility matching his political status in the party.

"Soon the Congress will become a deserted house as all grassroots leaders are feeling suffocated in it due to the unresponsive attitude of the high command," the statement quoted Badal as saying.

Sahota said the SAD has always been a crusader for safeguarding the interests of the Dalit community.

"I have a firm belief that no other party can fight for the rights of marginalised sections of the society as the SAD does," Sahota said.

The Congress party was discriminating against the Dalit community by stopping all social welfare schemes, he said.

"Dalit community will teach the Congress party a lesson for this betrayal," he said.

Sahota claimed that he would always be the voice of the Dalit community and keep fighting for the rights of the oppressed ones.