Chandigarh, July 23
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today removed member of Parliament (MP) Sukhdev Singh Libra from primary membership of the party. SAD secretary Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, said Libra had been removed for betraying the party at a crucial moment of voting in Lok Sabha. “The MP had betrayed the SAD”, he added.
He said action against the Lok Sabha MP from Ropar had been taken by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Sukhdev Singh Libra had abstained from the Lok Sabha at the time of the voting. The SAD had directed him to vote along with NDA constituents to oust the UPA government.
Separate action will be taken against the MP to get him disqualified from the membership of the Lok Sabha.
The party will first issue a show-cause notice to Libra tomorrow for defying the party whip on voting in Lok Sabha on confidence motion. Then necessary application will be moved to the speaker of Lok Sabha requesting him to disqualify the MP”, said Cheema.
UNI adds: Hitting back at party president Sukhbir Badal, Libra said had he been a wheeler-dealer, he would have accepted bigger deals offered by the Badal family years ago. He denied Sukhbir Badal’s allegation he had accepted Rs 20 crore to abstain during the confidence vote.
Libra claimed his move with regard to abstaining was guided by his conscience and denied he was bribed to vote in favour of the UPA government.
In a statement, the rebel SAD MP said he had abstained from the confidence vote because he believed the nuclear deal would benefit the country.
