Expelled SAD leaders launch new political outfit

Expelled Akali leaders launched their new political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) -- on Sunday.

Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib Ranjit Singh Brahmpura will lead the newly floated outfit.

The name of the new party was announced by the expelled leaders, after paying obeisance at Akal Takhat here, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs. Brahmpura was accompaniedby senior leaders Sewa Singh Sekhwan and Rattan Singh Ajnala, among others.

Talking about the political agenda of the party, they told reporters that the new outfit would take up issues pertaining to Punjab's right over capital Chandigarh, and river water issues and other rights of inhabitants of Punjab.

They said the new outfit will fight against the drug menace affecting the state.

On December 2, the expelled SAD leaders said they would float a new political outfit based on the Akali Dal's old constitution, which was framed in 1920.

They had accused SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal of distorting the old constitution.

The expelled SAD leaders had trained their guns at Sukhbir, accusing him of causing irreparable damage to the SAD and its cause.

Shiromani Akali Dal had recently expelled senior leaders Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Rattan Singh Ajnala from the party's primary membership for six years as the two leaders were allegedly indulging in "anti-party activities".

The core committee of the Akali Dal took the decision with a "heavy heart", SAD senior leader Harcharan Bains had said then.

Brahmpura's son Ravinder PalSingh Brahmpura and Ajnala's son Amarpal Singh Boni too were ousted for six years from the primary membership of the party.

Brahmpura had recently resigned from the post of SAD's senior vice-president as well as its core committee membership due to age and health reasons.

Notably, SAD had also recently expelled Sekhwan, a former minister, from the primary membership of the party, shortly after he had announced his resignation as senior vice-president and core committee member.

Earlier, Sekhwan, Brahmpura and some other Taksali Akalis (old guard) have raised their voice against SAD's alleged deviation from its 'panthic agenda'.