Chandigarh, Nov 18 The Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) working committee on Monday unanimously appealed to party President Sukhbir Badal to reconsider his resignation, asserting that if he did not accept its request, the entire committee would resign en masse.
The committee, while expressing confidence in his leadership, said he should continue to steer the party as its President.
"This is the need of the hour," it said in a resolution.
The committee members also asserted that they were aware that a conspiracy had been hatched against the party and that its main purpose was to render the party leaderless.
"We will not allow such a conspiracy to succeed at any cost. Sukhbir Badal is our leader and will continue to be our leader."
Briefing the media about the meeting, Working President Balwinder Bhunder said: "The members conveyed their sentiments forcefully and did not mince their words while praising the services of Sukhbir Badal and conveying that the party needed his services even more so at this crucial juncture. This is why they stood up collectively in one voice and asserted that they would also tender their resignation in case the President did not withdraw the same."
Bhunder said he had been flooded by calls from district presidents, Shiromani committee members, and Youth Akali Dal and Istri Akali Dal members for the last two days.
"Some members have already forwarded their resignations to me to express solidarity with the party President. All these persons are perturbed at the sudden turn of events and have expressed their anguish to me personally. The leaders have told me they want to convey their sentiments to the party. Accordingly, I have decided to convene formal meetings of district presidents, constituency in-charges and Shiromani committee members to hear their viewpoint and arrive at a broader consensus on this critical issue," he said.
The working committee also expressed shock at the manner in which the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Central government were colluding to dilute Punjab’s right over Chandigarh. It also took umbrage to the evasive statement of the Punjab Governor, who is the Administrator of Chandigarh, that the decision to allot land to Haryana in Chandigarh for a separate Assembly had not been taken yet.
"The Administrator should state point blank that he would not grant permission for the same instead of coming out with diplomatic statements due to the ongoing by-elections in Punjab."
The committee also condemned the AAP government for failing to give a no-objection certificate in the Supreme Court on the last date of the hearing to facilitate the release of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana on parole. It said the AAP government in Delhi had also played with the sentiments of the Sikh community by first promising Devenderpal Singh Bhullar would be released and then rejecting his special remission plea seven times.
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