Latest news with #AkalTakht-appointed
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Giani Harpreet is head of SAD's breakaway faction
Former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was unanimously elected as the president of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a meeting of the delegate session held in Amritsar on Monday, a move that formalised another split in the 104-year-old 'panthic' party. Giani Harpreet Singh, along with other members of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal, in Amritsar on Monday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT) Bibi Satwant Kaur was elected as chairperson of the 'panthic' council of the faction. The Akal Takht-appointed committee held the delegate session of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar. More than 500 delegates attended the meeting. Calling their faction as the 'real' SAD, the rebel Akali leaders dubbed the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led outfit as the 'bhagora dal', which defied the Akal Takht's directive of reviving the SAD on December 2, 2024. The fresh development is being seen as an open challenge to the authority of Sukhir whose leadership, these dissidents claim, has plunged the Akali Dal into a crisis. Former SGPC chiefs Bibi Jagir Kaur and Gobind Singh Longowal, along with Prem Singh Chandumajra, Parminder Dhindsa, Manpreet Singh Ayali and Surjit Singh Rakhra, were present, sending a clear message the breakaway group has their backing. When asked about the name of the faction, Giani Harpreet Singh said it would be the Shiromani Akali Dal. Asked whether they would get it registered with the Election Commission, he said, 'We will make every possible effort. If any need arises to move any court, then we will see it.' Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, one of the descendants of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak and attended the meeting as a special invitee, proposed the name of Giani Harpreet Singh for president's post. All delegates supported the proposal by raising their hands. The proposal was first endorsed by ex-SGPC chief Longowal and then seconded by Akali leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur. To counter the 'degradation caused by political interference' in Sikh institutions, the panthic council was constituted, which will comprise the office-bearers and dedicated Sikh thinkers. 'The council will work for unity among the Sikh organisations and coordination. The party leadership will take decisions with consent of this council. The party will also revive the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF),' he said. 'Coming to power is not the sole motive of the party. We want to serve the people and panth,' Giani Harpreet Singh said, adding, 'I will never contest any election in my life whether I stay president or not'. Lashing out at the Badal-led party, he said, 'I am very thankful to Sukhbir and his associates that they removed me in such an insulting manner. Had I been not removed, I would have preferred to serve at the Takht and not become president of the Akali Dal'. Giani Harpreet Singh, the former jathedar of the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, was part of the Sikh clergy that had declared Sukhbir and other Akali leader as 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) on December 2, 2024. In February, the SGPC had dismissed Giani Harpreet Singh as the jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. Earlier, Harpreet had opted out of the race for the post of president. But he was later persuaded to accept the proposal for becoming the president. Kaur is the daughter of the former president of the All India Sikh Students Federation, Amrik Singh, who was killed in Operation Bluestar. The Akal Takht, in its edict, formed a seven-member panel to start a membership drive and hold elections for the post of SAD president and office bearers within six months. A panel comprising SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur was entrusted with this responsibility. The Sukhbir camp, however, initiated its own recruitment drive, citing legalities, a move termed as a violation of the Takht's decree. Showing loyalty to the Sukhbir camp, Dhami and Badungar left the panel following which then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh issued fresh directions to the Takht-appointed panel in February to start a recruitment drive. On April 12, Badal returned to the helm of the SAD with his unanimous election as president of the party. The Akal Takht-appointed committee, however, started a parallel membership drive in March. After completion of the drive, they held the delegate session. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the SAD will see more splits. 'Soon, there will be more presidents in the Akali Dal. Uncertainty prevails over the party's future,' he said.
The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Virtual split in Akali Dal as its breakaway faction names party president
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has been going through a challenging phase over the past few years, faced another setback on Monday as the party faced a virtual split following the rebel faction announcing its new president. In the meeting in Amritsar of the Akal Takht-appointed committee, which was last year given the mandate to supervise the restructuring of the party, the breakaway faction on Monday declared former Akal Takht acting chief priest Giani Harpreet Singh as its president. Satwant Kaur was appointed chairperson of the Panthic (Sikh) council. The Akal Takht is the highest Sikh temporal seat. Ever since Sukhbir Singh Badal's re-election as SAD president, the rebels had been alleging that the Akal Takht's verdict of December 2, 2024 – which awarded religious punishments to him and several other party leaders for the 'mistakes' committed by the Akali Dal-led government from 2007 to 2017 – was not implemented in letter and spirit. The temporal authority had issued directions to the working committee of SAD to constitute a panel to hold elections for the post of party president and office-bearers, which the rebels pointed out was not adhered to. Mr. Harpreet Singh was part of the Sikh clergy that had issued the December 2, 2024 verdict. In February, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had dismissed his services as the jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. War of words erupts With rebels staking claim to the party, the exchange of words between leaders of both the camps sharpened. Addressing the meeting, Mr. Harpreet Singh asserted that they were the 'real' Akalis and 'we would eventually take control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the Akali Dal symbol, and the Akali Dal office'. Reacting sharply, senior SAD leaders Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal and Daljit Singh Cheema dubbed the faction as an 'Agency Dal'. The leaders said the faction of disgruntled elements has added a new chapter to the 'old conspiracy to divide and weaken the Khalsa Panth and Punjab' with the floating of a 'sponsored outfit of Central agencies with their hand-picked henchman Harpreet Singh as its spearhead'. SAD, which often claims to be the sole representative of the Sikh community, has over the years seen a gradual decline in fortunes in Punjab, where Sikh identity and issues have long been central to the political discourse. Political observers say the impression had gained among several sections among the Sikh community that under the sway of the Badal family, the party moved away from issues surrounding the Sikh 'panth' and deviated from its core ideology of giving voice to Sikh issues. The party's dipping popularity was on view during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, where SAD could win only one seat of the 13 parliamentary constituencies in the State. The party had earlier faced electoral drubbings in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Another split in Akali Dal as Harpreet Singh elected president of breakaway faction
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal saw another split on Monday, with former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh being unanimously elected president of the breakaway faction of the 104-year-old party. Satwant Kaur was appointed chairperson of the Panthic council of the new party by a five-member committee constituted by the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht-appointed committee held a meeting of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar, which is being touted by the dissidents as the rebirth of the 'real' party. The move is an open challenge to the authority of Sukhir Singh Badal whose leadership, these rebels say, has plunged the once-dominant regional force into a crisis. Issuing a clarion call to revive the original Akali Dal of 1920, the panel announced that Harpreet Singh would not contest elections. The breakaway faction claims to represent the original Akali Dal and intends to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for ratification. Former SGPC presidents Bibi Jagir Kaur and Gobind Singh Longowal, along with Prem Singh Chandumajra, were present, sending a clear message that these prominent Akali leaders support the breakaway faction. The election of the president was conducted under the supervision of Santa Singh Umaidpuri, a panel member appointed as election officer after duly notifying the ECI. Other panel members include Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Iqbal Singh Jhunda. This split is due to years of frustration with Sukhbir, who was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) last year for allegedly violating the religious code of conduct by mishandling the crisis sparked by incidents of sacrilege in October 2015. Under his leadership, the party lost the 2017 and then the 2022 assembly elections and now has just three MLAs in the assembly.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Giani Harpreet Singh elected president of SAD breakaway faction
Former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was elected as the president of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a meeting of the delegate session held in Punjab's Amritsar on Monday (August 11, 2025). Apart from this, Satwant Kaur has been elected as chairperson of the 'Panthic' council of the faction. The Akal Takht-appointed committee held the delegate session of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar. During the delegate session on Monday (August 11), the name of Giani Harpreet Singh was proposed for the post of president, while Satwant Kaur was proposed for the post of chairperson of the Panthic council. Giani Harpreet Singh, the former jathedar of the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, was part of the Sikh clergy that had pronounced 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) for SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali leaders on December 2, 2024. In February, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had dismissed the services of Giani Harpreet Singh as the jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. Ms. Kaur is the daughter of the former president of the All India Sikh Students Federation, Amrik Singh, who was a close associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and was killed in Operation Bluestar in 1984. The Akal Takht-appointed committee, which was given a mandate to supervise the reorganisation of the Shiromani Akali Dal in December last year, comprised MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Santa Singh Umaidpur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Satwant Kaur. On December 2 last year, the Akal Takht, in its edict, formed a seven-member panel to start a membership drive and hold elections for the post of SAD president and office bearers within six months. 'Punishment' to Badal At that time, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs had pronounced "punishment" for Mr. Badal and others for the "sins" of the party and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. Mr. Badal was declared 'tankhaiya' after rebel leaders, including Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, and former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, appeared before the Akal Takht on July 1, 2024, and sought forgiveness for the "mistakes" during the SAD regime between 2007 and 2017. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar later resigned from the Akal Takht-appointed panel. But the SAD working committee, in January, formed its own panel and initiated its membership drive, drawing criticism from the rebel leaders for defying the Akal Takht directive. On April 12, Mr. Badal returned to the helm of the SAD with his unanimous election as president of the party. The Akal Takht-appointed committee, however, started a parallel membership drive in March. After completion of the drive and electing delegates, the committee held the delegate session for electing office bearers on Monday.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Twist in tale: Now, Giani Harpreet set to head SAD breakaway faction
After opting out of the race for presidency of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), former Akal Takht acting jathedar and Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group's president. Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group's president. (File) Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali as well as former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra on Sunday said a consensus has been reached. The meeting of around 500 delegates, elected from across the country under the supervision of the committee which was formed by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year to reorganise the SAD, will be held at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh. Sources privy to the matter said majority of the delegates want Giani Harpreet Singh to become the president so his name has been almost finalised. Earlier, he had stated in a social media post that he could not contest the election against slain AISSF leader Amrik Singh's daughter Satwant Kaur, who is another contender for the top post, citing that she is a respected figure for him. There were reports that the five members of the Akal Takht-appointed committee — Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur — were divided as a section wanted Giani Harpreet Singh to be elected to the top post while the other wanted Satwant Kaur to be the president. According to reports, former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, associated with the rebel camp, approached Giani Harpreet Singh to persuade him to become the president. Kaur may be assigned the responsibility of heading the religious council of the party, which is to be constituted for coordinating with panthic groups for the SGPC elections, said sources. MLA Ayali said, 'The five-member committee has reached a consensus on Giani Harpreet Singh and we have decided to make Bibi Satwant Kaur a head of the panthic council as a convener which will also be constituted simultaneously during the election.' He added that Giani Harpreet's name would be proposed in Monday's meeting and would be thrown open for voting, if delegates wish to hold an election. 'If anyone else wants to contest, we are open,' he said. Senior leader of the rebel camp and former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra publicly announced while speaking with a TV channel that Giani Harpreet Singh would be elected president of the party and Satwant Kaur would be appointed as head of the religious council. Hours later, active members of the Akal Takht-appointed panel issued a press release, terming Rakhra's statement as personal views and stated the election would be conducted. The committee members said the final decision would be taken by the elected delegates in the general assembly. Rakhra was among the senior leaders of the breakaway faction who conducted a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday evening. According to Gurpartap Singh Wadala, as per feedback and sentiment in the panthic circles, Giani Harpreet has emerged as a choice for the top post. Satwant Kaur's father Amrik Singh was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was killed during Operation Bluestar. Amrik's father Kartar Singh Bhindranwale remained head of Damdami Taksal. She was among the seven-member panel for SAD's reorganisation named in December last year by the Akal Takht, which included SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Ayali, Jhundan, Wadala and Umaidpuri. Dhami and Badungar had distanced themselves from the panel after which the remaining five members had started their membership drive in March. Giani Harpreet Singh, who was jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, was one of the key curators of the December 2 edict under which SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared tankhaiya for the 'mistakes' committed during the SAD regime in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. Giani Harpreet was later removed by the SGPC but continued to support the membership drive and was also critical of the SAD leaders, including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Giani Harpreet Singh also faced criticism from the Sukhbir-led SAD, which alleged that he had a tacit understanding with the BJP.
