SAD membership drive: SGPC postpones Takht panel meeting to Feb 13

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) announced the postponement of the seven-member Akal Takht-constituted committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Patiala to February 13

Chandigarh : The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) announced the postponement of the seven-member Akal Takht-constituted committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Patiala to February 13.

The Takht committee was set to meet Shiromani Akali Dal working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar to seek clarification regarding the party’s ongoing membership drive, which began on January 20 and will continue until February 20.

The committee was set to meet Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar to seek clarification regarding the party’s ongoing membership drive, which began on January 20 and will continue until February 20.

Following this meeting, elections for the party’s president and other office-bearers are scheduled to take place on March 1.

Bhundar has reportedly expressed his inability to attend the meeting, citing his presence at the wedding of Sukhbir Singh Badal’s daughter in New Delhi.

The seven-member committee, led by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, held its first meeting on February 3 — four days after SAD’s working committee entrusted it with overseeing the membership drive. During this meeting, the committee summoned Bhundar to provide details about the drive, with the party claiming to have distributed 35 lakh membership slips.

The seven-member committee was constituted by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, on December 2 last year to oversee the membership drive of SAD.

Rebels condemn action against Giani Harpreet

Leaders from the now-disbanded Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (reforms movement), led by Gurpartap Singh Wadala, have criticised the SGPC’s decision to remove Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.

“This decision by the SGPC once again reflects how the Badal family has continued to undermine the authority of jathedars,” said Wadala.

The rebel leaders called upon the Sikh community to recognise this as a wake-up call and resist what they described as ongoing oppression by the Badal family. They also urged Giani Harpreet Singh to unite those affected and work toward the revival of the Shiromani Akali Dal.