Sangat Darshan put off over Akali tussle

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 22

The three-day Sangat Darshan programme of CM Parkash Singh Badal at Phillaur, which was to start tomorrow, has been postponed on account of a “tussle within the Akali Dal in the constituency”.

The SAD is reportedly finding it difficult to sideline its Phillaur legislator and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Chander from the event. Party insiders said the senior leadership intended to project the “proposed” new halqa incharge Baldev Khera, who recently switched over from the BSP to SAD.

But it needs time to make a formal announcement and convince Avinash Chander, who is facing a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in the Bhola drug case.

“The party is clearly in no mood to field Avinash again and has even been making administrative changes in the area so as to suit the new youth leader,” said sources.

Perhaps wary of an unpleasant scene that could be created at the Sangat Darshan just two days after suspended MLAs Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria vented their anger against SAD, the party has decided to put off the event for the time being.

The scheduled flagging off of a train from Phillaur to Hazur Sahib under the CM Tirath Yatra Scheme too was cancelled on July 19, as the party wanted this event to be executed by Khera.

However, rubbishing the move, Avinash said, “I had gone to see the Deputy CM yesterday. He did not even give me the slightest hint of this sort. The Sangat Darshan has been postponed due to technical reasons.”