The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday expelled senior party leader and SGPC member Harjinder Kaur for supporting the anti-party activities of the BJP in Chandigarh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections .
Party general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhundur took the decision to expel her following repeated complaints from the Chandigarh SAD unit that Kaur had given unilateral support to BJP candidate Sanjay Tan Tandon (Sanjay Tandon) and deliberately sabotaged the party in Chandigarh.
Kaul, a former mayor of Chandigarh, has been a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) since 2011 and has been serving as chairman of the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR).
Kaul said in an interview: “I am shocked because I have dedicated 30 years to the party and cultivated it in Chandigarh. This is a complete one-man dictatorship. I will always be Akali.”
The general secretary said he had received video evidence of Kaur’s anti-party activities and had to take this drastic step to send a clear signal that SAD would not tolerate such unethical behavior by SGPC members.
Bandur said this was not the first time Kaur had violated the party’s principles. “Earlier too, we received complaints that she compromised with the BJP and got important posts instead of extending support to the saffron party. However, we have given her a long rope and hope she will realize His own mistakes and actions are all about returning to Pantheon.”
“This time, however, an SGPC member has crossed the line by openly campaigning for a BJP candidate in Chandigarh. Her approach is not only against the party but also disrespectful to the sentiments of the Punjabi and Sikh communities who are against the federal government’s approach Angered by its anti-farmer stance and refusal to release Sikh prisoners who have served their life sentences but remain incarcerated for more than two decades,” Bhundur added.
He said the decision to expel Kaul was taken after due consideration and consultation with the party’s Chandigarh unit. “The complainant and senior officials have unanimously urged me to take this step in the interest of the party and its supporters. I have received reports that the BJP is offering bait to party leaders to defect during the ongoing elections.”