Pargat Singh ‘happy’ after Akali Dal suspends him

After cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu’s quit the Rajya Sabha, another sports person — former Indian Hockey captain Pargat Singh, who is an Akali Dal MLA — on Wednesday gave a shock to the Akali Dal-BJP combine, when he said he is happy about his suspension from the party.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal suspended Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria (both MLAs) from the party on Tuesday.

A defiant Pargat Singh on Wednesday said that he is happy over his suspension from SAD. “Though earlier I was not sure on weather to stay in politics or not but after my suspension, I have decided to remain in politics,” he said while addressing media.

Though the former hockey Olympian did not reveal his future course of action, he did not rule out the possibility of joining the AAP.

“I will share my future plan when the right time will come,” he added.

Attacking Akali Dal he said that SAD has become a mentally bankrupt party and he would not like to continue in it even if his suspension is revoked. “If speaking the truth in a democracy and raising the voice of the people in my constituency is an anti-party activity, then I am committed to it and I will accept it,” Mr Pargat said on Wednesday while reacting to his suspension from the party.

Pargat Singh was hand-picked by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and was later elected as an Akali MLA from Jallandhar.

However, the differences between Pargat Singh and Akali leadership soon came out into the open as he was sidelined in the party. The differences further grew when the SAD government came with a solid waste treatment plant in Pargat Singh’s constituency, which opposed was tooth and nail. Later, however, SAD tried to placate Pargat Singh by making him the chief parliamentary secretary, which was declined to the great embarrassment of Akali leadership.

However, to preempt another embarrassment at the hands of Pargat Singh in case he joined the AAP, the Akali Dal suspended him. Giving the reason that “after watching his anti party activities, all party senior leaders advised the party president to deal with indiscipline firmly.”