Dhindsa father-son duo backstabbed party: Sukhbir Badal

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday accused suspended Akali leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and his son Parminder Singh Dhindsa of backstabbing, saying they never had a problem when given posts by the party.

The Dhindsa father-son duo were suspended for anti-party activities, days after they opened a front against the Badal family.

Veteran Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had rebelled against the party leadership, especially its chief Sukhbir Badal, in a bid to "liberate" the SAD from the Badal family and "revive its lost glory".

Parminder Singh Dhindsa too resigned from the post of the leader of the party in the state assembly. He had questioned the "lack of internal democracy" in the party.

"Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa is my elder. For the past 30 years, he won just one election and lost all the time. Despite that he was given several positions. He was made Rajya Sabha member and a minister at the Centre. At that time, you had no problem with the Badal family," Shukhbir Badal said attacking the veteran leader.

Commenting on the Dhindsas siding with Taksali (old guard) leaders, Sukhbir said they were trying to weaken the Panth (Sikh community).

"They are not Taksalis, who after enjoying everything backstabbed the party. My respected (Sukhdev) Dhindsa sahib, I did not want to touch this issue, but much being spoken regularly for the past several days in the media against the Badal family," said Sukhbir, adding that he was hurt with statements of the Dhindsa family against his father Parkash Singh Badal.

"Sukhdev Dhindsa is my elder. I touch his feet. I have played in his lap. I also know as a fact from my 35 years in politics that Badal Sahib never said no to Dhindsa. Despite this, Dhindsa has now made it his aim to take on the Badal family. I want to tell him that we won't win or lose as per your will but by the will of people," he added.

Sukhbir also accused the Dhindsa father-son duo of changing their constituencies after every election.

"At that time, there was no problem with Sukhbir Badal," he asked.

He further said that Dhindsa's son-in-law was also given ticket from Mohali during the last assembly elections at Dhindsa's insistence. But he too lost, said Sukhbir.