Akal Takht panel to launch SAD membership drive on March 18

The Akal Takht-constituted committee to oversee the SAD overhaul will initiate a membership drive for the party from March 18. The move is likely to escalate tension between the temporal seat and the outfit that had previously rejected the panel.

The decision to launch the drive was announced by the panel after performing an ardas at the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex.

The announcement was made by the remaining five members of the committee, days after Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Kirpal Singh Badungar resigned from it. Their resignations are yet to be accepted.

The remaining five members of the panel are Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpuri, Satwant Kaur and Iqbal Singh Jhunda.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said if a “parallel” membership drive was conducted in the name of his party, it could invite legal implications. He said SAD was a registered party, with its constitution, formation, accounts and records endorsed by the Election Commission of India. “As per the party constitution, none can admit members under the name and banner of the SAD. It would be held unauthorised, if done. Earlier also, we had apprised ‘Singh Saheb’ (Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh) of this hurdle,” he said.

Earlier, the Akal Takht Jathedar had asked the remaining five members of the panel to initiate the drive despite opposition from SAD. The party had rejected the panel constituted by the temporal seat, whose December 2 edict had forced Sukhbir Singh Badal to quit as the SAD chief after he was awarded a religious punishment for “mistakes” committed during the party’s decade-long rule (2007-17).

The SAD launched its membership campaign on January 20, resulting in a stalemate over the issue.

The party, whose drive will be followed by organisational poll, has claimed that over 32 lakh people had taken SAD membership since January 20.

Wadala said all five members were committed to obeying the December 2 decree in letter and spirit. He said the membership drive would be transparent, as directed by the Akal Takht.

“We will initiate the recruitment process from March 18 from the Akal Takht. We appeal to all Panthic organisations, ‘sant samaj’, and Sikh personalities to participate in our aim to rejuvenate the Akali Dal. We will rope in all sections of the society, especially the youth,” he said.

He said the party needed a new leadership as SAD had its origin with tremendous struggle and sacrifices.

He urged Dhami, also a SAD member and associated with the party’s membership drive, to join them. “He is an esteemed Gursikh personality who has performed his services with utmost dignity and honesty. We would be happy if he leads us,” he said.

Meanwhile, political experts said a parallel membership drive by the Takht panel would create confusion. Harpal Singh, former professor of Sikh National College in Banga, said the end result would be unproductive as both groups lacked true Akali Dal ideology.