SAD chief Sukhbir to abide by Akal Takht summons

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal
| Photo Credit: ANI

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced on Tuesday that he would abide by an Akal Takht summons and appear before the highest Sikh temporal seat to answer allegations by a rebel group of the SAD that he “compromised Panth (Sikh community) sentiments for political gains.”

Mr. Badal said that as a devout Sikh, he would follow the orders of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib and appear before it. On Monday, the Akal Takht chief priest, Giani Raghbir Singh, asked the SAD president to appear in person before the Akal Takht to submit a written explanation on rebel leaders’ allegations that he had compromised on ‘Panth’ sentiments and did not represent the sentiments of the community. Mr. Badal has been asked to give an explanation within 15 days.

Senior SAD leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, and former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur among other leaders, have raised the banner of revolt against Mr. Badal. On July 1 they appeared before the Akal Takht in Amritsar, and submitted a letter to apologise and sought forgiveness for four mistakes they made while their party was in power between 2007 and 2017. They also held Mr. Badal, who was the deputy chief minister at the time, responsible for the “mistakes.”

The key mistakes, according to the letter, included the pardon granted to Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a 2007 blasphemy case, the SAD-led government’s failure to punish those involved in sacrilegious conduct against the Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari village in 2015, and appointment of Sumedh Saini as the State’s Director General of Police.