Badals induct one-time foe Brar into Akali Dal

MUKTSAR: Two-time MP and former Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar was inducted into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of the entire Badal family on Friday.

Brar has been a bitter critic of the Badals for nearly 30 years, but has joined them in an attempt to get back to active politics. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, Union minister Harsimrat Badal and her brother, SAD MLA Bikram Majithia, were present at Brar’s residence in Charewan village, 8km from here, for the joining.

Brar justified his move to the SAD, saying his suggestion to the Congress to introspect for its rout in 2014 was taken wrongly and he was ousted from the party. The Badal trio used kind words for Brar, calling him a “very talented, articulate orator and fighter”, a “hardworking, dedicated leader”, and a “dignified opponent”. Brar reciprocated by calling the Badals “dignified”, from whom a lot could be learnt. He eulogised Harsimrat, saying: “Sukhbir Badal is the luckiest man on earth for having Harsimrat, who comes from a religious family, as his wife”.

Parkash recalled his association with Brar’s father, late Gurmeet Singh Brar. “I worked a lot with him. This is a Panthic family, which has returned to the Panth,” he said. He asked Sukhbir to treat Brar like a member of their extended family and take advice from him or Brar, saying he would give valuable and politically correct suggestions.

Badal then invoked the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Operation Blue Star to attack the Congress.

Sukhbir, who lost the 1999 Lok Sabha elections to Brar, said the former MP knew how to fight elections. “I have learnt a lot from him. While we fought against each other for the first time in 1996, I was worried as I was new and Brar was experienced. I used to take lessons from Akali leader Gurdev Singh Badal in the car as to what to speak, but Jagmeet was way ahead of me in speeches. Now, SAD will gain strength with his joining the party and Congress will be decimated in this area,” he said.

Sukhbir added that no one would be able to beat SAD if it had more leaders like Jagmeet.

Harsimrat said the families fought many battles, but these never turned personal. “I campaigned for Sukhbir ji (in 1996). Jagmeet’s style of campaign gave us the terror,” she said.

Jagmeet he had tried to rejoin the Congress, but it did not work and there was nothing wrong in his joining the SAD. “I will work in SAD as a dedicated soldier and whatever duty is assigned to me I will discharge it with devotion,” he said.

He recalled his family’s equation with the Badals, saying that his father and Badal started their political careers together in 1957. “My father fought the first election from Baghapurana and Badal from Malout in 1957. When in 1967, Badal was shown losing by 57 votes, he had reached our home and sent telegrams to the Election Commission from here,” he said.