Amritsar, May 16
In a significant statement, which could embarrass its political partner, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President, Shiromani Akali Dal, said his party had no objection if Ms Sonia Gandhi became the Prime Minister .
Taking a u-turn over the foreign origin of Ms Gandhi , which had been one of the major issues raised by the SAD during the previous elections, Mr Badal’s statement was likely to cause flutter in the BJP which had taken a tough stand on this issue . While Mr Sahib Singh Verma, a former Chief Minister of Delhi, said the party would observe ‘black day’, Ms Sushma Swaraj threatened to resign as Rajya Sabha member if Ms Gandhi became the Prime Minister.
Talking to mediapersons at SGPC’s information office here today, Mr Badal said when Ms Gandhi’s party had got the people’s verdict , he did not want to raise such issues at this juncture. However, he said the people might realise their folly at a later stage. He said Ms Gandhi was an inexperienced leader who could not run the affairs of the nation.
Mr Badal had come here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, alongwith newly elected members of Parliament from the state, including his son Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal , Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Dr Rattan Singh , Ms Parmjit Kaur Gulshan , Mr Charnjit Singh Atwal , Mr Sharnjit Singh Dhillon , Mr Zora Singh Mann and Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra.
Meanwhile, Mr Badal expressed apprehensions that the state government could resort to rigging, booth capturing or means to disrupt the forthcoming SGPC poll, scheduled to be held on
July 11. He said the Sikh Gurdwara Election Commission did not have enough staff and powers to ensure free and fair polling. He said the commission should be given the powers on the pattern of the Chief Election Commission so that it could take necessary action against the erring officials.
However, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, general secretary of the party, said Youth Akali Dal’s activists would be deputed all over the state to ensure free and fair elections. He said the Youth akali workers had already done a great job in ensuring the victory of SAD-BJP in the Lok Sabha poll.
Describing the splinter groups of SAD as ‘agents' of the Congress government, Mr Badal said they had stabbed in the back of the Sikh Panth. He urged the mediapersons not to prefix the word ‘Akali’ with such factions. He alleged that their one-point agenda was to weaken the Akali Dal.
