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Don’t show laxity in implementing 7-member panel directive: Jathedar to SAD

By, Amritsar
Jan 12, 2025 05:50 AM IST

The jathedar said the SAD’s step to initiate the membership drive by assigning duties to its leaders in different areas and other states is “good in light of the Akal Takht decision.”

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Saturday welcomed the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working committee’s move to accept Sukhbir Singh Badal’s resignation while reminding the party of the remaining part of the edict of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs to complete the re-organisation under the supervision of the seven-member committee within six months. Sukhbir had tendered his resignation on November 16 last year.

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh

“In compliance with the decree of Akal Takht Sahib, a meeting of the SAD working committee was held yesterday, during which the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal was accepted. It is a welcome move. However, a seven-member committee constituted by Akal Takht Sahib has not been dissolved. It still stands. This committee should start working,” Giani Raghbir Singh said while interacting with media here.

The jathedar added that SAD should not show laxity in implementing the directive of the seven-member committee.

“I already said a few days ago that the SAD must fully comply with the Dec 2 decree. If no mention regarding the seven-member committee was made during the meeting of the working committee, we can again say that the SAD is showing reluctance in implementing the directives,” he added.

SAD has not been keen to accept Takht’s directed re-organisation of the party, with the party leaders saying that it would violate the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, which might, as per the legal expert consulted by Akali Dal, lead to de-recognition by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In Friday’s meeting, SAD constituted a panel to oversee the membership drive and election of the party president. Of these, five are members of the Akal Takht-constituted committee. These include former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD legislative party leader Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpur and Iqbal Singh Jhundan. Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Bibi Satwant Kaur, daughter of All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) president Amrik Singh, have, however, been not included in the SAD panel.

Wadala is a prominent leader of the rebel faction and was also the convener of ‘Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’, which was dissolved as per Takht’s December 2 directions.

The jathedar said the SAD’s step to initiate the membership drive by assigning duties to its leaders in different areas and other states is “good in light of the Akal Takht decision.”

The rebel group and other Sikh bodies have slammed the delay in starting the party’s re-organisation process and have blamed SAD of not heeding to the directive.

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