- Babushahi.com first to break news of Sukhdev Dhindsa’s resignation
- Son Parminder Dhindsa too caught unawares by father’s resignation from party positions
- Badals make futile attempts to contact Sukhdev Dhindsa post-resignation letter
Chandigarh, Sept 29, 2018: The resignation bombshell dropped by senior Akali leader and Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on Saturday put the party’s patron Parkash Singh Badal and the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal in a politically awkward situation.
After babushahi.com broke the story of Dhindsa’s resignation from all the party positions, it is learnt that senior Badal and Sukhbir made unsuccessful frantic efforts to contact him to find out the reason for this sudden decision.
Dhindsa’s phones were found to be in switch off mode. He was also not available at his Chandigarh residence.
After failing to establish contact, the father-son duo approached his son and former Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa who is on a foreign visit. It is believed that Parminder Dhindsa released a press statement only after Badals spoke with him.
In the statement, he tried to explain there was no political reason behind his father's decision. He also reiterated commitment of his family to the party and the Badal family.
Notably, while speaking with TV Channel News18 from Austria over phone, he disclosed that he too was completely unaware of the resignation and took him personally by surprise. Referring to the resignation letter, he also cited that his father decided to resign on health grounds.
Parminder Dhindsa is abroad for a meeting of international cycling federation and is returning in the first week of October.
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The statement of Parminder Dhindsa issued by SAD is as under :
Our family committed to SAD, Sardar Badal and Sukhbir Badal - Parminder Dhindsa.,
Chandigarh, September 29 - Former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa today said his family was committed to the Shiromani Akali Dal and that he on his part would take this legacy forward after the retirement of his father S Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from active party work.,
In a statement here, Mr Parminder Dhindsa said it seemed that his father’s resignation letter was being misread. “My father has clearly stated that he stands with the party and that he will continue to serve in the Rajya Sabha. I on my part would like to state that our family has been given great honour by the SAD, party patron Sardar Badal and party president Sukhbir Badal. We have worked for the party through thick and thin and will continue to give our best to the SAD in the coming future also”.,
Stating that he was traveling abroad for a world cycle federation meet, the SAD leader said his father Sardar Dhindsa had decided to relinquish his party duties due to ill health. He said his father had undergone bypass surgery recently and was also suffering from a shoulder and back problem due to which there was difficultly in locomotion. “Recently Sardar Dhindsa has been forced to have several pain killers every day to tackle severe pain due to which he took a considered decision to withdraw himself from active party duties. Nothing more should be read in this development”, he said adding he would continue to discharge his duties as party general secretary.
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