SAD yet to decide on Sukhbir Badal’s resignation; to seek opinion from party, SGPC leaders

“The moving committee decided to instrumentality opinions from SAD territory presidents, each members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and adjacent the leaders successful complaint of constituencies astir this resignation. After taking their opinions, the committee volition instrumentality a last telephone arsenic we are an elected assemblage and successful a democracy, we person to instrumentality opinions from the crushed arsenic well,” Bhunder said.

Badal appointed Bhunder arsenic the moving president of the SAD connected August 29 this year. A time later, the Akal Takht Sahib declared him a “tankhaiya (guilty of violating Sikh spiritual code)” successful transportation with alleged mistakes made by Badal betwixt 2007 and 2017 that the Akal Takht deemed had “deeply harmed the representation of the Panth and caused harm to Sikh interests”. This included the nonaccomplishment to punish those liable for the 2015 sacrilege incidents and pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda main Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh successful a 2007 blasphemy case. The “tankhaiya” presumption continues arsenic the Akal Takht Sahib is yet to denote a “tankhah (punishment)”.

Bhunder said, “We volition beryllium calling the territory heads, constituency in-charges and SGPC members to the enactment caput bureau connected abstracted dates to get their feedback. Afterwards, a corporate determination volition beryllium taken.”

Hours earlier the moving committee meeting, Youth Akali Dal president Sarabjeet Singh Jinjher had announced that if Sukhbir Badal’s resignation is accepted, helium excessively volition resign. Senior SAD person and erstwhile main parliamentary caput N K Sharma excessively submitted his resignation from the superior rank of the enactment and said helium would stay successful the enactment lone if Badal continues arsenic the president. Ludhiana (Urban) president Bhupinder Singh Bhinda besides resigned connected Sunday pursuing Badal’s resignation.

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema excessively confirmed that a determination volition beryllium taken regarding Badal’s resignation aft talking to respective leaders arsenic “the emotions of galore are connected with the enactment and its leaders.”

The gathering besides discussed different issues. “We besides passed a solution not to let Haryana to instrumentality adjacent an inch of onshore from Chandigarh. We volition proceed to combat for the rights of farmers and labourers. Our conflict volition besides proceed to resume elections to the Panjab University senate. We condemn the basal of some the Centre and Punjab authorities towards the lawsuit of merchandise of Sikh prisoners lodged successful jailhouse adjacent aft completing their terms,” elder SAD person Bikram Singh Majithia said.

Leadership alteration sought since 2017

Demands for a alteration successful SAD enactment archetypal emerged aft the 2017 Assembly polls which the Congress won. In successive polls held successful 2019, 2022 and present successful 2024, the SAD’s ballot borderline has lone reduced.

In July this year, a rebel faction Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar was formed demanding a alteration successful enactment isolated from seeking forgiveness from the Akal Takht Sahib for the mistakes committed by the enactment during the SAD-BJP tenure during 2007-2017. Sukhbir excessively had sought forgiveness.

Meanwhile, Majithia stated, “There is simply a heavy conspiracy to defame radical successful turban and we tin spot it successful Canada arsenic of now. There is simply a conspiracy to origin polarisation. Badal elder had been warring each his beingness for communal harmony and adjacent present the enactment is committed to this fight.”

“The sacrifices of the Akali Dal person saved Punjab and adjacent successful aboriginal we volition prevention Punjab, nary substance what sacrifice we person to give,” Bhunder stated.