After Dhami, Badungar quits Akal Takht panel to revive SAD

Hours ahead of a crucial meeting of the seven-member committee constituted by Akal Takht to oversee the Shiromani Akali Dal membership and the election of its office-bearers, former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar resigned from the panel today.

The development has further deepened the confrontation between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Akal Takht over the conduct of the membership drive and the subsequent elections. Badungar’s resignation came a day after HS Dhami quit as the committee chairperson, while also resigning from the post of SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) president.

The remaining five members went ahead with the committee meeting (third since its formation), which lasted over two hours at Panth Ratan Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Institute of Advanced Studies in Sikhism at Bahadurgarh, near here. The members are Gurpartap Singh Wadala, convener of the disbanded Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar; Manpreet Singh Ayali, SAD MLA from Dakha; Santa Singh Umaidpur, head of the Jhoondan committee; Iqbal Singh Jhundan, head of the 2022 committee suggesting a change in the SAD leadership; and Satwant Kaur. Speaking to The Tribune, Wadala said the members decided to seek further directions from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. “We were asked to supervise the SAD membership drive and elections, but the Akali leadership didn’t co-operate. We will submit our report to the Akal Takht Jathedar and seek directions on the future course of action,” he said.

Ayali claimed the SAD had conducted its membership drive without the consent of the committee members. “For us, the Akal Takht is the supreme authority. We have decided to visit the Akal Takht and abide by its directions,” he said. Jhundan said they would mention before the Akal Takht the names of those “who didn’t cooperate” with the committee.

Badungar, a known Badal family loyalist along with Dhami, released a video announcing his resignation earlier today. He claimed the committee had become “irrelevant after the resignation by its chairperson”. He said the committee had met twice, but without any tangible outcome.

The Akal Takht had formed the committee on December 2 last year to oversee the SAD membership drive and elections for the post of president and other office-bearers.