Punjab Sad Cries Foul As Punar Surjit Gets Same Venue For Longowal Event

A war of words has erupted between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and SAD (Punar Surjit) after both parties were reportedly allotted the same venue, the grain market, to mark the 41st death anniversary of former Akali leader Sant Harchand Singh Longowal on August 20.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Monday said the party had deposited the charges to use the grain market shed for the event in April. “However, after a fresh application from the SAD (Punar Surjit), the venue has now been reserved for the other party,” he said, alleging collusion between the AAP government and SAD (Punar Surjit).

Cheema alleged that the SAD (Punar Surjit) submitted the application on August 15 and a decision to approve the venue was taken the same day.

Terming the decision arbitrary and discriminatory, Cheema said his party would approach the Punjab and Haryana high court to get the decision reversed.

However, SAD (Punar Surjit) leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa, the organiser of the rally, said, “I do not know how the same venue has been allotted to both parties.” He said it was unusual for the Sukhbir-led SAD to opt for the grain market this year, as in the past it had held the event at a nearby college run by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

A senior district administration official in Sangrur, requesting anonymity, confirmed that both parties had been allotted different portions of the same venue.

“The SAD (Punar Surjit) wants to install Guru Granth Sahib at the rally venue, so it was allotted the covered portion in the grain market, while the SAD has been allotted the open space in the mandi. The venue is large enough to hold both events, so I think there won’t be any problem,” the official added.