DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Amid a rebellion in the Shiromani Akali Dal by a section of party leaders, the rank and file of the youth wing of the party at a meeting here said it had "complete faith" in the leadership of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The Youth Akali Dal (YAD) lauded Badal for refusing to align with the BJP by "sacrificing the party's principles only to fulfill their ulterior motives" despite intense pressure from a section of top leadership of the party, a party statement issued on Saturday said.

Addressing youth wing leaders at the meeting in Chandigarh, Badal said he refused any seat agreement with the BJP as he could not "betray" the 'panth', farmers or the people of the state.

This comes after the party said on Wednesday that its working committee has reposed faith in the leadership of Badal.

A section of senior party leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former ministers Sikandar Singh Maluka, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, revolted against Badal, demanding that he should step down as party chief following its debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

Disgruntled party leaders on Tuesday also announced that a 'SAD bachao' movement would be launched next month. The Badal-led SAD saw a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as it could manage to win only the Bathinda parliamentary constituency out of 13 seats in Punjab.

The SAD also saw a drop in its vote share from 27.45 percent in 2019 to 13.42 percent in 2024 polls.

According to the statement, the YAD said that core principles of the 'Khalsa Panth', Punjab and the SAD should never be compromised and added that Badal alone could give effective leadership to the party at this juncture.

Badal, addressing youth wing leaders, gave a sequence of events of the last two months.

He said, "I could have easily agreed to an alliance with the BJP but I refused it because I was being told to arrive at a seat settlement without any discussion on the core issues of Punjab, including the status of 'Bandi Singhs', farmers and the issues like the state's rivers and the state capital.

"I did so because I could not betray the 'panth', farmers and Punjabis at any cost", said Badal.

He chief said despite such his "principled stand", SAD leaders who were now speaking against the party, had reached out to the BJP individually and even "struck deals" with them.

"I refused to honour these deals as I don't believe in opportunistic politics. I am committed to following the ideals of the SAD and will continue to do so," he added.

The SAD president listened to suggestions from the YAD leadership, including suggestions that fresh blood be infused into the party and that young leaders be made part of elections, the statement said.

Badal said the party was devising a programme to give meaningful responsibilities to the youth wing and make it even stronger.

YAD president Sarabjit Singh Jhinjher appealed to youth wing leaders leaders to defeat the "conspiracies that weaken the SAD by creating divisions in the party" and shun all "opportunistic elements".

The SAD has previously called the rebel leaders "frustrated elements sponsored by the BJP" to weaken it.
(editor@dailyworld.in)