MLA Ayali to seek jathedar directions before joining Akali Dal’s membership drive

Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali is part of Akal Takht’s 7-member committee formed to supervise SAD’s re-organisation

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali on Monday said he will approach the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seats of the Sikhs, seeking direction on whether he should be part of the party’s committee constituted to supervise the membership drive or not.

Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali (HT File)

Ayali is one of the three SAD MLAs in the 117-member Punjab assembly. The other MLAs are Ganieve Kaur Majithia and Dr Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi. Sukhi joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in August last year.

On Friday, the SAD working committee constituted a committee with at least 25 members, to oversee the membership drive for a month starting from January 25, with a target of inducting 25 lakh members.

While the SAD working committee panel retains five names from the Akal Takht constituted seven-member panel for party re-organisation it leaves out Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar convener Gurtartap Singh Wadala and Bibi Satwant Kaur, who is an SGPC employee.

Other than Ayali, other members in the Takht committee include former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD leader Santa Singh Umaidpur and head of a 2022 committee constituted to suggest course correction for the party Iqbal Singh Jhundan.

The working committee has deputed Ayali to make members in Rajasthan. “I will seek directions from Akal Takht Jathedar as to how to proceed,” Ayali said in a post on micro-blogging site X.

In a message posted on social media, Ayali further wrote that Akal Takht is a supreme authority and its edict, pronounced on December 2, should be implemented in true spirit.

He further mentioned that he also sought clarity on his role now in the committee formed by SAD. “I will abide by the direction from the Akal Takht,” he further wrote.

Meanwhile, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had accepted the way the SAD working committee had conducted the proceedings on Friday.

Umaidpur also exits SAD committee

Another SAD leader Santa Singh Umaidpur, who was asked by the SAD working committee to supervise the membership drive in Himachal Pradesh, has declined to take up the responsibility. Umaidpur is also in the Akal Takht constituted seven-member committee. Reacting to it party vice president Daljit Singh Cheema said: “If someone wants to exit from the responsibility party can’t say much.”