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Punjab: SAD accepts Valtoha’s resignation
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had summoned Virsa Singh Valtoha on Tuesday and had taken action against him during an emergency meeting.
Chandigarh
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar has accepted the resignation of senior leader and former Khem Karan legislator Virsa Singh Valtoha from the party’s primary membership, SAD vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema said on Wednesday.
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had summoned Valtoha on Tuesday and had taken action against him during an emergency meeting.
Valtoha on Tuesday resigned from the party after the Akal Takht issued directives to expel him from the SAD, finding him “guilty of character assassination” of the Sikh clergy.
Valtoha was directed to produce proof to back his allegation that the jathedars are under pressure of the BJP-RSS and some others in matters pertaining to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
After the directive to the SAD, Valtoha said he voluntarily resigned from the primary membership of the Akali Dal.
“I humbly accept the order of the Sikh clergy as a devout Sikh. Not leaving the SAD leadership in a fix to implement the order, I voluntarily resigned from the primary membership of the party,” he said in the resignation letter.
Valtoha had reportedly questioned the delay by the Sikh clergy in announcing the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) to the SAD chief.
On August 30, the Akal Takht declared Sukhbir as ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) for the “mistakes” committed by his party’s government from 2007 to 2017.
The jathedar of the Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, directed SAD’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder through an edict to expel Valtoha from the party within 24 hours and terminate his membership for 10 years.
Valtoha submitted his written clarification and an apology by appearing in person. But the Sikh clergy, which also included Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, found Valtoha guilty of character assassination of the Sikh clergy.
