Chandigarh: The Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, Monday summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal over the allegations of his party’s dissident group that he had “failed to satisfactorily represent the Sikh Panth (community).”
Badal was asked to present himself before the Akal Takht within 15 days and also give an explanation in writing.
“Some senior leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal have complained to the Akal Takht that the SAD president has failed to represent the sentiments of the Sikh community. Sukhbir Badal is directed to present himself before the Akal Takht within 15 days and give an explanation in writing. Also, an explanation has been sought regarding expenditure of Rs 90 lakh on advertisements from the account of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee,” the statement issued by the Akal Takht jathedar reads.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the jathedars of the five takths (seats of authority of the Sikhs) in Amritsar.
A rebel group of senior SAD leaders led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Bibi Jagir Kaur among others had on July 1 handed over in “apology letter” to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghubir Singh. They had also accused Badal of not being able to represent the sentiments of the Sikh Panth. The group is gunning for the removal of Sukhbir Badal as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Reacting to the decision taken by the Akal Takht, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said Monday that the Akali Dal president would abide by “each and every decision and order issued by the Akal Takht” and would present himself before it within the given time.
Following the humiliating defeat in the parliamentary elections, the group of rebels had met the Akal Takht jathedar seeking forgiveness for their mistakes committed as members of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Holding Badal responsible for these mistakes, the rebel group apologised for the party having failed to nab those responsible for the incidents of sacrilege in 2014 when the SAD-BJP combine was in power. They also tendered an apology for condoning the act of sacrilege by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh the same year, a decision which was retracted by the Akal Takht following a backlash from the Sikh community.
Welcoming the decision of the Akal Takht, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, a member of the rebel group, told mediapersons in Chandigarh that although Badal apologised as an individual Sikh, he had never been earlier summoned by the Akal Takht. “Sukhbir Badal is accountable not only to himself, but the entire Sikh panth. It is the panth which is seeking an apology,” said Wadala.
As the leaders of the two groups held separate meetings in Chandigarh, security was bolstered outside the party office in Sector 28 to avoid a clash between the factions.
The rebel group launched the ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’ and announced Wadala as its convener.
Wadala said that their group will be announcing a presidium in the coming days apart from a committee of senior members. “It was decided that the lehar should lead to the emergence of a new leadership within the Shiromani Akali Dal that should be able to replace the old one,” he told the media.
Leaders of the Akali Dal also met to show their support for Sukhbir Badal. In a press statement later, Daljit Singh Cheema, one of the senior-most members of the party, said there was no space for those leaders who launched a programme against the party in its head office, asserting party workers would not tolerate such elements.
Asserting that the party head office was for everyone, Cheema said that Badal held meetings of the party’s various wings, but leaders “who are allowing themselves to be addressed as rebels did not attend them even though an open invitation had been sent to all”.
“Now when they have launched an agitation against their own party they are laying claim to hold meetings at the party office here. There is no space for them here,” he asserted.
The SAD leader made it clear that the party had a constitution and an elected president in Badal. “The president is elected through a democratic process as per laid-down norms. The party office is also run as per the guidelines given by the president. You cannot challenge the leadership of the party president and then lay claim to the party office”.
Charanjit Singh Brar, a leader of the rebel group, told ThePrint that there was no move to hold any meeting in the Akali Dal head office. Their meeting was held in Sector 36 according to a pre-scheduled programme, he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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