Akal Takht summons Badal amid infighting in SAD

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority for Sikhs, has summoned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday. This follows a dissident faction’s allegations that Badal failed to adequately represent the Sikh community’s interests. The Akal Takht instructed Badal to appear before it within 15 days and submit a written explanation.

The statement from the Akal Takht jathedar indicated that senior SAD leaders had complained about Badal’s leadership. They claimed he had not effectively conveyed the sentiments of the Sikh Panth. Additionally, Badal was asked about Rs 90 lakh spent on advertisements from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s funds.

This directive emerged after a meeting of the five takhts’ jathedars in Amritsar. A faction of senior SAD leaders, led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Bibi Jagir Kaur, had submitted an apology letter to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghubir Singh on July 1. They accused Badal of misrepresenting the Sikh community and called for his removal as the party president.

In response, SAD spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler stated that Badal would comply with all decisions and orders issued by the Akal Takht, promising his appearance within the specified timeframe.

Following the defeat in parliamentary elections, the rebel faction sought forgiveness from the Akal Takht jathedar for their errors as SAD members. They blamed Badal for these mistakes, particularly for failing to apprehend those responsible for sacrilege incidents in 2014 during the SAD-BJP administration. The group also apologized for the party’s previous support of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a stance later reversed by the Akal Takht after community backlash.

Gurpartap Singh Wadala, a member of the rebel faction, expressed approval of the Akal Takht’s decision. He emphasized that Badal was accountable not just to himself but to the entire Sikh community, which was seeking an apology.

As tensions escalated, security was heightened outside the SAD office in Chandigarh to prevent clashes between factions. The dissidents launched the ‘Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’ and appointed Wadala as its convener. They planned to establish a presidium and a committee of senior members to foster new leadership within the party.

Meanwhile, SAD leaders supportive of Badal gathered to express their solidarity. Daljit Singh Cheema, a senior party member, criticised the rebels and asserted that the party office, governed by the president’s guidelines, was not for those challenging Badal’s leadership. He emphasised that the party’s president is democratically elected, and internal dissent should not disrupt the party’s functioning.