Shiromani Akali Dal to approach court against breakaway faction leaders, says not members of party

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday said it would approach court with a complaint against leaders of the breakaway faction that had staked claim to the party by announcing a separate president a day ago.

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema termed the move “illegal, unconstitutional and immoral” and said the party was consulting legal experts to file a formal complaint with the court in this regard.

He said the rebel leaders were not even members of the party now as they neither participated nor took membership of the party by submitting a nominal fee of Rs 10 during a membership drive held by the party earlier in the year.

The faction, led by rebel Akali leaders, had on Monday declared former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpeet Singh as the president of the party in an orgainsational poll, held months after SAD re-elected Sukhbir Badal as its chief.

The Monday’s orgnaisational poll was held by an Akal Takht-constituted panel, which was earlier rejected by the SAD, holding its own membership drive and subsequent election to elect the SAD chief and other office-bearers.

Following Sukhbir’s re-election in April, the Akal Takht has remained mum on fate of the committee constituted by it through a December 2 edict last year.

However, the rebel leaders have called their faction as the “real” SAD.

Cheema rejected the claim while terming the breakaway faction as the “Vakhra Chulha Dal”, which he said was being sponsored by central agencies.

He said they were trying to appropriate the name of the party that was registered and recognised as per the Election Commission notification of 1996.

“The separate group did not conduct a membership drive as per the constitution of the party which stipulates that every member has to pay a fee of Rs 10. They have no right to call their party meeting a delegate session of the SAD and can be proceeded against for indulging in cheating and forgery,” he said.

“At present, 100 per cent of the delegates of the SAD are with the party and not even one member of the separate group, which was misusing the name of the SAD, is a member of party,” he said accusing rebel leaders of deceiving Punjabis.

Cheema also took on Giani Harpreet Singh for “violating the hukamnama of the Akal Takht Sahib” issued on December 2 last year, stating the separate group “should close its shop and merge with the SAD in Panthic interests”.

“It is extremely unfortunate and unbecoming that a person who has served as the Jathedar of the apex Sikh institution did not follow the directives written by himself,” he said.