SAD served old wine in new bottle: Pb BJP vice-chief

Chandigarh: Punjab BJP vice-president Fatehjang Singh Bajwa has reacted to the reappointment of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by accusing the party of trying to mislead the public by reinstating a discredited leadership.

In a statement issued on Friday here, Bajwa compared the move to serving "old wine in a new bottle," alleging that Sukhbir's brief exit from the leadership was part of a "calculated strategy" to manipulate public perception. "Sukhbir Badal stepped down only to reclaim the post, thinking he could fool the people of Punjab. But they have seen through the act," Bajwa said.

The BJP leader went further, blaming Sukhbir for what he described as "serious damage" to both the century-old Akali Dal and the influential Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages Sikh religious institutions. Bajwa advised Sukhbir to take responsibility for the erosion of the party's credibility and to stop interfering in SGPC's affairs. "It's time he focused on rebuilding the Akali Dal into a credible regional force, rather than clinging to positions of power," he said.

While critical, Bajwa expressed hope that Sukhbir would learn from past mistakes and work toward the party's revival with sincerity. The reappointment has drawn sharp responses from both political opponents and internal dissidents, further fuelling debate over the future of one of Punjab's oldest political parties.

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