Rebel Akali Dal leaders tender apology for mistakes under SAD regime

The rebel group of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has been seeking the ouster of its president Sukhbir Singh Badal from the top post on Monday went to the Akal Takht, – the highest Sikh temporal seat - and tendered an apology for all the ‘mistakes’ of the party that have hurt Sikh (Panth) community.

Senior party leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur among other leaders, who have raised the banner of revolt against Mr. Badal appeared before Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at Akal Takht secretariat in Golden Temple in Amritsar. They submitted a letter to apologise and sought forgiveness for the four mistakes during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017.

The key mistakes, according to the letter, included the pardoning granted to Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a 2007 blasphemy case, failure of the then SAD-led government to punish those involved in the sacrilege of ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ at Bargari village in 2015, and appointment of Sumedh Saini as State’s Director General of Police.

Mr. Chandumajra said these mistakes have cost the party dearly - both on the electoral and religious front, and even though several leaders have been raising the issue surrounding ‘leadership change’ within the party platform yet nothing concrete was done to revive the party in all these years.

As the poor run of SAD - which has been passing through a difficult phase - continued in the recent 2024 Lok Sabha election, the challenge before the Punjab-based party’s president Mr. Badal, to keep the party intact, has only grown as several senior leaders have now raised the banner of revolt against him, gunning for his ouster from the party top post.

Meanwhile, SAD’s women’s wing, Istri Akali Dal, on Monday expressed complete faith in the leadership of SAD president Mr. Badal. In a statement, the party wing stated he was best suited to lead the party at this juncture.

“The entire rank and file of the Istri Akali Dal said party president Sukhbir Badal had provided inspiring leadership to lead an effective campaign in the form of the Punjab Bachao Yatra,” it added.

Last week, the SAD’s working committee on Wednesday placed its full faith in the “determined and committed leadership of the party president Sukhbir Singh Badal”. In a resolution, the committee members condemned attempts to tarnish the image of the president.