Waris Punjab De leader and Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali has offered his Assembly seat to Paramjit Kaur Khalra, wife of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, urging her to contest the next Punjab Assembly election from Dakha.
Ayali said he had decided to offer the seat in honour of the “supreme sacrifice” made by Khalra. He said the film ‘Satluj’ showed how Khalra and his family had exposed the truth behind fake encounters and the cremation of hundreds of unclaimed bodies.
In a statement issued today, Ayali said it was his earnest wish that Paramjit Kaur Khalra contest the forthcoming Punjab Assembly election from Dakha, describing it as a matter of great pride and honour for the people of the area.
He added that Bibi Khalra would only need to file her nomination papers, and the responsibility of ensuring her victory would be taken up by the sangat of Dakha and party workers. He expressed confidence that party cadres and people of the constituency would leave no stone unturned to ensure her success.
This is the second major announcement by the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De leader in less than a week.
Earlier, Ayali had announced Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh as the party’s chief ministerial candidate. Soon after, Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) leaders Iqbal Singh Jhunda and Santa Singh Umaidpuri also backed the announcement.
Jhunda was later expelled from Punar Surjit for six years. SAD (Punar Surjit) chief and former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh issued a letter accusing Ayali of creating obstacles in panthic unity and of acting as a proxy for AAP.
In an address to Bibi Satwant Kaur, head of the Panthic Council of SAD (Punar Surjit), Giani Harpreet Singh further alleged that Ayali wanted to become president of the Punar Surjit Akali Dal himself. He claimed that Ayali, along with Jhunda and Umaidpuri, tried to take control of the party and hatched conspiracies to remove him from the party presidency.
Giani Harpreet Singh also said Ayali took away all the party’s membership and recruitment data when he left.
Hitting back, Ayali accused Giani Harpreet Singh of backtracking on his own directions and of offering key positions to leaders who had been found guilty of religious misconduct.
“As per the December 2, 2024 Akal Takht hukamnama, my job was to conduct the recruitment drive. I had told Giani Harpreet Singh — who was one of the Jathedars who pronounced the December 2, 2024 Akal Takht hukamnama — that leaders found guilty of religious misconduct should be kept away and not given key party posts. But the opposite happened. Their inclusion in key posts led to dissatisfaction among workers,” Ayali said.