The nomination of three Akali leaders as Rajya Sabha- anti- people
and unconstitutional mechanism of the SAD headed by the
father-son duo.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira,
MLA Bholath
June 10, 2010

The nomination and subsequent election of three Akali leaders as Rajya Sabha members including Sh. S.S Dhindsa, SH. Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Sh. Naresh Gujral reflects the undemocratic character of the SAD, controlled by the father-son duo. All three elected leaders have been repeatedly rejected by people in different elections from time to time but Mr. Badal and his son want to impose them on the people no matter even if people reject them. Sh. Balwinder Singh Bhunder has been twice defeated in assembly elections of 1997 and 2007 from Sardulgarh but both his defeats have been converted into Rajya Sabha membership courtesy his political masters the Badal’s. Similarly Mr. Dhindsa has twice been defeated and rejected by the electorate of Sangrur Parliamentary seat but the verdict of people have little meaning for the feudal, authoritarian and autocratic Badal’s and he found nomination to the Rajya Sabha both times. Last but not the least Sh. Naresh Gujral was rejected by the electorate of Jalandhar Parliamentry constituency but instead he has twice been nominated by the SAD to the Rajya Sabha, is this not going against the will of the people? Besides leaving aside the intellectual level of Sh. Naresh Gujral (actually never put to test) the other two Akali leaders Sh. Bhunder and Sh. Dhindsa are definitely not Rajya Sabha or upper house material. I have never noticed any meaningful participation of these two leaders in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha either.

Even majority of those nominated as Chairpersons of District Planning Committee’s are those rejected by the people during the 2007 assembly elections but the Badal’s want them to run the development process at the district level. To my utter surprise elected MP’s and MLA’s have totally been left out and are not members of the District Planning Committee’s constituted by the SAD Govt. probably again reflecting an undemocratic character of Mr. Badal who doesn’t  want elected representatives to be part of the development process of the State.

The Congress party calls for a review of this parochial, anti- people and unconstitutional mechanism of the SAD headed by the Badal’s. It urges the SAD to include elected representatives particularly those belonging to the opposition in the development process of Punjab. Such narrow and partisan approach will definitely lead Punjab nowhere except anarchy, breakdown of constitutional machinery and poor governance as is evident at the moment in Punjab.

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