DECODE PUNJAB: Vested interests in Akali Dal to blame for party crisis: Valtoha

The existential crisis in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) cropped up due to vested political interests of a group of Akalis who ended up denting the Panth and Punjab’s interest.

This was stated by SAD former spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha while sharing his point of view with The Tribune during an interview as a part of the newspaper’s digital show, ‘Decode Punjab’.

He appealed to all dissident Akalis, now expelled, to shun disagreement and unite to revive and strengthen the SAD. “The Opposition parties, which had seldom safeguarded the rights of Punjab, are in an advantageous position due to bickering in the SAD,” said Valtoha.

Admitting flaws in the SAD administration and controversial decisions taken when the party was in power in the state between 2007 and 2017, he said, “Had the 2015 unfortunate incidents not occurred and preventive steps were taken, the situation of SAD would have been different from what it is today,” he said.

He claimed that he had raised the voice against controversial decisions with the top leadership, including Sukhbir, directly, but in vain.

“When the Dera Sirsa head was pardoned in 2015, I was the first person to tell Sukhbir that it should not have happened. Another blunder was appointing Sumedh Singh Saini on the poast of DGP, which I had opposed. The firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan occurred under his command, claiming two innocent lives when protests were on against a series of sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargarhi, in Faridkot. Again, under the influence of the Dhindsa family, the wife of another controversial police officer was given a ticket for Assembly elections and was awarded with the post of chief parliamentary secretary. All these moves backfired, hitting the SAD image which could not be improved till date,” he said.

On the charges he had faced, Valtoha said he would soon approach the SGPC and seek justice. “The allegation that I had tarnished the characters of Jathedars was being misinterpreted. I had only pointed out that Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh owed allegiance to the BJP and RSS. I have presented the proof before the five high priests. I demand that the video-recording of my meeting with the five high priests be made public, but it was not to be. Rather, Giani Harpreet Singh had levelled further allegations against me that I was involved in sending threatening and derogatory messages about him and his family. Why didn’t he produce a proof to justify his allegation? This should also come in the public domain. I will seek the SGPC and Akal Takht intervention in this matter soon,” he said.