Takht-appointed panel’s call for polls at Teja Singh Samundri Hall leaves SGPC in fix

For the SGPC, which is under the control of the Badal-led SAD, this is a major dilemma as allowing the panel to go ahead with the elections at its headquarters would challenge Sukhbir’s election while not allowing it will be viewed as a defiance to the Takht’s December 2 decree.

The Akal Takht-appointed panel, which is to oversee the reorganisation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has left the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in a fix by announcing to hold elections to pick the party president and office-bearers at the Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the gurdwara body’s headquarters, on August 11.

The Teja Singh Samundri Hall, which is the SGPC headquarters, has been holding major gatherings here. (HT File)

This is the same venue where the Badal camp had on April 12 conducted its polls and re-elected former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal as the party president. Historically, SAD has been holding major gatherings here.

For the SGPC, which is under the control of the Badal-led SAD, this is a major dilemma as allowing the panel to go ahead with the elections at its headquarters would challenge Sukhbir’s election while not allowing it will be viewed as a defiance to the Takht’s December 2 decree.

The Akal Takht had on December 2 last year stated that the SAD leadership had lost the moral right to give political patronage to the Sikh Panth because of their sins.

The clergy had then appointed a panel, comprising SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Iqbal Singh Jhudan, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur, daughter of Shaheed Bhai Amrik Singh, to reorganise the party and elect a new president and office-bearers within six months.

However, the Badal camp had initiated its own recruitment drive, citing legalities, a move termed as a violation of the Takht’s decree. Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had issued fresh directions to the Takht-appointed panel in February to start a recruitment drive.

With the recruitment process now complete, the panel’s active members —Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur— announced elections for the party president and other office-bearers. In a statement, the panel members had said: “To fulfil the sentiments of the Sikh Panth and search for the leadership of the SAD, including its president, a General House meeting has been called at Teja Singh Samundri Hall on August 11. Delegates elected from Punjab as well as other states will participate in this meeting.”

State and district delegates will be democratically elected from July 21 to July 30.

When questioned, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, maintained the gurdwara body has not received any communication from the panel. “We have not received any such demand yet.”

When asked about their likely move once the demand is made, he said, “Then, we’ll see what is to be done.”