SAD suspends Bibi Jagir Kaur over SGPC election row

Chandigarh, November 2

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today suspended senior leader Jagir Kaur from the party over “anti-party activities” after she refused to back down from contesting the November 9 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections.

The decision to suspend Kaur, a former SGPC chief, was taken by the SAD’s disciplinary committee led by former minister Sikander Singh Maluka. She had been asked to clear her stand within two days, failing which “further disciplinary action” would be initiated against her, he said.

A few days ago, SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Surjit Singh Rakhra had called on Kaur to persuade her to “toe the party line” on the candidature for the SGPC president’s post, but she is learnt to have remained adamant on contesting the election.

Maluka said it was mandatory for Kaur to clarify that she would not contest the poll. “If she doesn’t do this, the party is bound to act against her as none is above the party,” Maluka said at a press conference here. He said Kaur was allegedly indulging in anti-party activities for the past few months and was “working in conjunction with forces inimical towards the SAD”. “Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal also met her, but she refused to budge,” he said.

The disciplinary committee chairman said the party had also received complaints from several SGPC members that Kaur was pressuring them to support her.