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Manish Sirhindi
Tribune News Service
Patiala, January 15
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) cadre is finding it tough to maintain the “Army-style discipline” of former Army Chief Gen JJ Singh (retd), who is pitted against PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh.
Local leaders who accompany JJ Singh during his programmes inside the narrow lanes of the walled city have started talking about his “harsh behaviour”.
Some local leaders and party workers said he seemed to have taken the metaphor “party’s soldiers” too literally and was going all out to enforce “discipline” on his campaigners.
“Such is the terror created by the General that when he calls up party president Sukhbir Badal, his tone makes it clear that he is out here to force his will,” said a senior party leader while talking to The Tribune at the General’s Patiala residence in Charan Bagh. “He calls Badal saab and holds back nothing as he says: What is this, Sukhbir, what is happening in Patiala?” said another SAD leader.
“A delay of a few minutes for his meetings can bring any SAD worker or leader in the line of fire as the General minces no words when it comes to setting things right,” a senior leader said. A recent video of the General showing him using cuss words to “threaten” his opponents only corroborates the fact.
One of the leaders said, “Discipline is good for any party, but the General seems to have taken it a little too far.”
A recent call made by Sukhbir to local leaders making it clear that “if the General wins, it will be your personal win” has given them a big reason not to report his “hardnosed attitude” to the party high command, but work in unison to ensure his win.
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