Akali was in the center of a controversy regarding her open confrontation with Harsimranath PM of Tamil Nadu. Akali has been ailing and missed a number of sittings from the RSS party. Harsimranath took the extreme step to ban Akali from appearing at his office. Akali has been maligned for her stand against Harsimrat Badal Pradesh Chief Minister O Rajya Kumar and her son Akalis.
Harsimrat Badal, for his part, has accused Akali of flaunting her links to the RSS. He has termed Akali a ‘housewife’ who is ‘not fit to lead’. But it seems to be the voice of intolerance which is keeping Akali out of the limelight. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu has issued an ultimatum to Akali to drop her party links or face arrest. On camera, Harsimrat Badal has been seen telling Akali to step aside. He has also promised that the DMK would take full responsibility of Akali’s actions.
The DMK has not reacted yet to the entire situation. Akali’s son Priyadarshan is seen in the DMK office during this time. Priyadarshan’s son Subodh is in the forefront of Akali’s supporters. The CM has also taken an inflammatory step and told the reporters that Akali was chosen by the party bosses to face a disciplinary case. He has also refused to form a committee to choose a new leader.
Akali’s brother Subodh said,” Akali has proved herself to be free and impartial. Her leadership is popular and the party is not divided on any ground. If the CM has chosen her for the post of party leader, then we can be rest assured that no harm will come to our sister.” The party however, has vowed to take the matter in court as soon as possible.
Akali’s case is not the first time that a leader has fallen in such a scenario. There have been several instances of leaders being toppled from office. Some were assassinated while others were sidelined. It seems that there is little doubt that the CM is worried about losing her grip over the party. If things do not improve soon, then she may face a removal of her leadership. Given the precarious situation in the ruling alliance, this would be unfortunate.
Akali’s husband Naveen Patki is in the witness protection racket and is under investigation. However, the exact reason for his relocation is not known. Since Naveen is an influential personality in the area, it is possible that he may be implicated in the case. With increasing tension and suspicion, many question whether Akali should have been chosen as the face of the party over her rival. They may have chosen a different candidate had the situation not been as bad as it is now.