The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday warned that it will file a criminal complaint against leaders of the breakaway faction for trying to misappropriate the name of the party, saying the SAD was a registered and recognised party under the Election Commission’s 1996 notification.
The party’s statement came a day after former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was unanimously elected as the president of the SAD’s breakaway faction in a meeting of the Akal Takht-appointed panel in Amritsar.
Terming the group’s meeting on Monday illegal, unconstitutional and immoral, party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the SAD was consulting legal experts to file a formal criminal complaint.
“At present, all delegates of the SAD are with the party and not even one member of the separate group, which is misusing the name of the SAD, was a member of the party,” said Cheema, warning the breakaway faction against deceiving Punjabis by making false claims.
Stating that all delegates of the SAD had been elected after due election following the end of the previous working committee’s term, Cheema said the members of the breakaway group had not participated in the membership drive.
He went on to say that all members of the SAD had taken membership of the party after submitting a membership fee of ₹10, which was applicable for five years. “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 ₹10. Therefore 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.”
{{/usCountry}}He went on to say that all members of the SAD had taken membership of the party after submitting a membership fee of ₹10, which was applicable for five years. “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 ₹10. Therefore 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.”
{{/usCountry}}Cheema also took on Giani Harpreet Singh for violating the hukamnama of the highest temporal seat, issued on December 2, 2024, stating the separate group should close its shop and merge with the SAD in Panthic interest. He said instead of doing this, Giani Harpreet had gone ahead to open a new shop.
“It is extremely unfortunate and unbecoming that a person who has served as the jathedar of the apex Sikh institution did not follow its directives,” he said.