SAD facing revolt in Haryana

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Haryana is facing a major internal rebellion, with several senior leaders resigning in protest against the party leadership. The unrest has escalated after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the organisation responsible for managing gurdwaras, removed Giani Raghbir Singh from the post of Akal Takht Jathedar and Giani Sultan Singh as Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. They condemned the removals, saying the Akal Takht in Amritsar and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib are two of the highest temporal authorities of Sikhism.

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Another major point of contention is the alleged interference of the SAD in the SGPC affairs.

Several leaders have accused the SAD of becoming a family-run entity. SAD Haryana state president Sharanjeet Singh Sotha and senior leader Sukhbir Singh Mandi openly criticised the SAD leadership, accusing it of “insulting” the Akal Takht. Sotha, in his resignation, said, “The sanctity of the Akal Takht has been violated, and my conscience could not tolerate it.”

Senior leader Surinder Pal Ramgarhia, who resigned from the party, said that the SAD has become the “personal property of a single family,” referring to the dominance of the Badal family in party affairs. This sentiment is shared by many other leaders who believe that decision-making within the party is no longer democratic.

Ramgarhia claimed that the SGPC, which is supposed to function independently for Sikh religious affairs, has instead become an extension of the SAD’s political wing, serving the interests of the party rather than the Sikh community.