Akali Dal To Turn Sukhbir Badal Attack Into Longowal Rally Pitch

Battling for political survival, the Shiromani Akali Dal is turning the attack on party president Sukhbir Singh Badal into a larger political narrative that Punjab's moderate Sikh leadership has repeatedly come under threat. The theme is likely to take centre stage at the party's August 20 programme in Longowal village in Sangrur, where the party will observe the 41st death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal.The timing allows the Akali Dal to draw a direct political parallel between Longowal, who was assassinated in 1985 after signing the Rajiv Longowal Accord, and Sukhbir Badal, who survived an attack at a gurdwara in Nanded on August 13.