THIKRIWALA (Barnala), Jan 20 — Mr Gurinder Pal Singh Dhanaula, a loyalist of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Governor of Uttaranchal, and senior vice-president of the dissolved youth wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), along with his supporters, today left SAD for the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD).

Mr Dhanaula joined the SHSAD in the presence of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SHSAD chief, during a political conference organised here to mark the martyrdom day of a pioneer of the Parja Mandal Movement, Sardar Sewa Singh Thikriwala. The conference was addressed by leaders of the SHSAD, SAD (Amritsar), SAD (Panthic), the Congress and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

It is learnt that Mr Dhanaula bade farewell to the SAD as he had lost hopes of getting SAD ticket for the Barnala assembly seat in the elections following the projection of Mr Gaganjit Singh, son of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, as a ‘prospective candidate’ for the seat. However, Mr Dhanaula said that he had left the SAD as he was opposed to Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s anti-Panthic policies and his tendency to promote and encourage dynastic rule.

Paying tributes to Shaheed Sewa Singh Thikriwala, Mr Tohra, accused Mr Badal of not fulfilling the promises made in the manifesto during the previous assembly elections. He alleged that Mr Badal had given up the Panthic ideology to remain in power, for which he had even mortgaged SAD’s respect and honour in the hands of the RSS and the BJP which were interfering in the affairs of the Sikh religion.

Mr Tohra also levelled corruption charges against the Badal government and called his government a ‘gang of looters’. he challenged Mr Badal to constitute a commission comprising Supreme Court judges to probe corruption charges against his government and his ministers, if they were upright.

Mr Tohra also assailed Mr Badal for surrendering farmers’ interests, saying that the implementation of the WTO would ruin the economy of Punjab’s farmers.

Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the SAD (Amritsar) and MP from Sangrur, said the Indian border touching Pakistan in the Punjab area should be opened for exporting foodgrains. He also criticised the hike in the prices of seeds, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs. He also asked Mr Badal to recommend rejection of Dunkel proposals to save farmers. He also flayed Mr Badal for bowing to the RSS and the BJP with regard to their interference in the Sikh affairs.

Mr Jasbir Singh, former Punjab minister, who belongs to the Congress, said that these days about 90 per cent of Punjabi youths were drug addicts and a large number of Sikh youths had become apostate.

Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa, president of the SAD (Panthic), stressed upon the need of unity in Panth.