JALANDHAR: Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar’s brother Bhupinder Singh Makkar went live on his Facebook page on Thursday night and attacked party president Sukhbr Singh Badal and senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Apart from using pejoratives for them, he said, “We have only one regret that throughout our entire family has been very ethical and honest in our businesses but you used one of our brothers (not Sarabjit), made him to do wrongs and got him into mining business. You blemished him and our turban. Tickets are nothing for us,” said Bhupinder, a prominent businessman of the city in his own right. Later he deleted the video but a few of his friends had already downloaded and saved it.
While stating that Sarabjit Makkar became a staunch loyalist of SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal as their father told them to do so, he said, “It is our compulsion that we can’t go against Badal senior as there is no other fine person or politician like him.” Bhupinder recalled his and his family’s association with Badal senior, including the latter watching a few movies at their home.
On August 16, Sukhbir had announced former Congress leader Jagbir Singh Brar’s candidature from Jalandhar Cantt assembly seat, clearly putting Makkar out of contention for the party ticket from the constituency this time. Claiming that they had nothing against Brar, Bhupinder said his brother should have at least been given the reason for his replacement.
He also claimed that come what may, SAD would not be able to form the government. “You snatched the ticket of my brother with maleficence... I pray to God, if you have rightly snatched his ticket then you form the government, otherwise (may) you just vanish,” he said. “From Jalandhar city, you will get only one seat. That too only because I shall not oppose you from there,” he added while claiming that AAP was interested in fielding him from the city.
Lauding chief minister Amarinder Singh for keeping his word, Bhupinder added, “He always gives respect to others and does not backtrack from his promise. But your calculations are driven by business interests.”
AAP Leader joins SAD
The SAD got a boost in Patiala with Anu Randhawa, an AAP leader and daughter of late Congress minister Jasjit Singh Randhawa, joining the party along with her supporters on Friday. She had contested the 2017 assembly polls from Ghanaur on AAP ticket. SAD president Sukhbir Badal said her joining would strengthen the party not just in Ghanaur but the entire district.
