The father of Amritpal Singh on Monday expressed resentment over the Shiromani Akali Dal's move of fielding its candidate from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat from where the jailed radical preacher is also contesting.
The statement of Tarsem Singh, the father of radical preacher Amritpal, came hours after SAD nominee Virsa Singh Valtoha met him and his wife on Monday morning to seek their support for the Lok Sabha elections. Amritpal, chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit who is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, is fighting the elections from the seat as an Independent.
The SAD announced Valtoha as its candidate for the Khadoor Sahib seat on Sunday. Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Tarsem Singh said the name of his son for the seat was announced four days back.
"They (SAD) are making a historical mistake by fielding its candidate," said Tarsem Singh.
Referring to his meeting with Valtoha earlier in the day, he said the SAD candidate stated that people were questioning him for contesting the polls against Amritpal.
"We said (to Valtoha) that it was the people's decision (fielding Amritpal from Khadoor Sahib)," Tarsem Singh said.
When asked Valtoha claimed that the family of Amritpal assured him of support in the elections, Tarsem Singh said no such assurance was given to him.
Rather Valtoha should support Amritpal in the elections, he said.
Earlier in the day, Valtoha in a Facebook post said that he met Amritpal's father Tarsem Singh, and mother Balwinder Kaur near the Golden Temple in Amritsar where they have been sitting in protest, seeking the shifting of NSA detainees from Assam to Punjab.
Valtoha discussed the Lok Sabha polls with the family. He also urged the family of Amritpal to support the parliamentary elections, according to the post. On Sunday, the Simranjit Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) said that it would support Amritpal.
Mann had said his party would withdraw its candidate from the Khadoor Sahib seat after Amritpal filed his nomination papers for the elections.
Valtoha, who is also the SAD spokesperson, became MLA in 2007 and 2012.
He had unsuccessfully contested the Khem Karan assembly seat in the 2022 assembly elections.
Besides Amritpal, Valtoha will be pitted against AAP's Laljit Singh Bhullar and BJP candidate Manjit Singh Manna Mianwind from the Khadoor Sahib seat, which is currently represented by Congress MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa. The Congress on Monday fielded former MLA Kulbir Singh Zira from the seat.
The Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat, which is called a 'Panthic' seat, came into existence in 2008. The Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine assembly segments - Jandiala, Tarn Taran, Khem Karan, Patti, Khadoor Sahib, Baba Bakala, Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi, and Zira.
SAD's Rattan Singh Ajnala became an MP in 2009 and Akali nominee Ranjit Singh Brahmpura won this seat in 2014.
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