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Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 24
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday announced shelving its proposed public meeting in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in a bid to expand its base.
SAD’s senior vice president and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs Prem Singh Chandumajra, said, “The meeting has been deferred due to heavy rains causing water logging at the venue and the roads approaching it.”
The decision to call off the meeting was taken after party leaders inspected the venue ground this morning.
Chandumajra said the meeting would be held sometime in October on which decision will be taken soon.
The theme of the meeting will be “Pagree ki pehchan, Sikhi ki shan”.
The meeting was also aimed to mobilise people of Punjabi community in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with regard to the forthcoming celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Party president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal were to address the meeting, besides top Akali leaders. They will, however, address the meeting whenever it is organised.
Reports say SAD has been investing energy with regard the Saharanpur rally. The party has approached gurdwaras and their heads in Uttar Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand.
Chandumajra said the mobilisation campaign has evinced wide-ranging interest, including from non-Punjabis. Farming community has expressed support for the party, he said.
“While other political parties are perceived to have divided the society on caste and communal lines, SAD is seen as uniting people. They acknowledge party’s patron and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as pro-farmers,” Chandumajra said.
With regard to the political purpose of SAD’s base in Uttar Pradesh, he said it will contest elections in the state, as it will do in Haryana where it has organised a series of public meetings. To this effect, its first priority is to strengthen itself, he said.
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