Takht Panel Accuses SAD of Inaction, Urges Jathedar Intervention
Members of the Akal Takht panel overseeing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) revamp met with Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Sunday to express concerns over the party's lack of cooperation regarding its membership drive.
During the hour-long closed-door session, the panel submitted a report summarizing the three meetings held so far on the issue. This development follows the recent resignation of panel chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, who also stepped down as SGPC president. Another panel member, Kirpal Singh Badungar, also quit in the aftermath of Dhami’s exit, reducing the panel’s numbers to five—though neither resignation has yet been formally accepted.
The controversy dates back to the panel's formation by the temporal seat, following a December 2 edict that compelled party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to step down after facing a religious censure for alleged missteps during the party’s rule from 2007 to 2017. The Akal Takht had mandated that SAD launch a six-month membership drive to restructure the party. However, SAD instead initiated its own month-long campaign on January 20, sparking a stalemate.
According to sources, Giani Raghbir Singh reassured the panel that the authority of the Takht-constituted committee “still stands,” despite the resignations. He promised to soon issue a message to the community outlining further directions. He also confirmed that the December 2 edict would be implemented in full. Earlier, the Jathedar had urged Dhami to retract his resignation and resume his roles as head of both the SGPC and the Akal Takht panel, arguing that if Dhami had resigned on moral grounds in response to an earlier social media post, it was equally moral for him to return and kick off the recruitment process for SAD as directed by the Takht.
Leave A Comment