Bikram Singh Majithia’s coming out of jail on bail could not have been a better time for the troubled Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). With the party staring down the barrel after its defeat in the Punjab Assembly elections this year and internal differences worsening the situation, the senior leadership was waiting for an opportunity to pull things back.
The former SAD cabinet minister was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2021 in a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government.
Minutes after Majithia was granted bail by the court, entire top SAD officials swung into action on Wednesday. Although the senior leader was released on bail, the party leaders started calling it a big victory. Bikram’s sister and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal visited the Golden Temple to pay obeisance and later, speaking to the media, said her arrival would “curb the opposition propaganda and infuse a new life into the entire SAD brigade”.
The MP alleged that the then government had registered a case against Bikram by abusing its power and believed that he would soon be cleared of all charges and would be an asset to strengthen the party.
The Akali Dal finds itself in a tight position with some senior leaders being restless about the status of their leaders. A section of the party had met a few days ago to demand the implementation of the Jhunda Committee report formed after the defeat in the assembly elections. Supporters of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal are seeing Bikram’s release as an opportunity to turn things around.
Not surprisingly, party leaders turned his release into a major political event. Party workers not only gathered at the Patiala Jail from where Majithia was supposed to leave, but also celebrated at his residence in Amritsar.
Majithia’s release on bail has also drawn political backlash with senior Congress leader Ravneet Bittu alleging collusion between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Akalis. He alleged that the AAP government did not deal properly with the matter in the court as per the agreement with the SAD.
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