Sukhbir Singh Badal resigns as Shiromani Akali Dal president

Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday stepped down as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president.
“He submitted his resignation to the working committee of the SAD to pave the way for the election of the new president. He thanked all party leaders and workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support and cooperation throughout his tenure as president,” party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema posted on X.
Badal’s resignation comes three days after he approached the Akal Takht and made a fresh appeal to jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to convene a meeting of the Panj Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) soon to pronounce tankhah (religious punishment) to him, citing that it had been two and a half months since he was declared a tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by the highest Sikh temporal seat for mistakes committed by the SAD and its government from 2007-17 on the complaint of rebel Akali leaders.
Accompanied by Cheema and SAD leaders Parambans Singh Romana and Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi, Badal paid obeisance at the Golden Temple on Wednesday and handed over his letter of appeal at the Akal Takht secretariat in the complex. In the absence of Giani Raghbir Singh, the letter was received by the secretariat staff.
“It’s been two and half months since I was declared tankhaiya. I request the Singh Sahiban to issue the edict soon. I’ll obey it as a Sikh and as the SAD president. I have political and personal responsibilities,” Badal said after submitting the letter.
“Elections to the municipal corporations and other local bodies are about to be announced in Punjab. So, a fresh appeal was made to the Akal Takht Sahib,” Cheema said.
The SAD has already skipped the four assembly byelections to be held on November 20 after the Akal Takht barred Badal from campaigning and participating. In his latest letter, Badal said: “According to the Akal Takht order, I stayed away from public events. On October 17, the SAD leaders’ delegation approached the Akal Takht jathedar, requesting him to take a decision soon. On October 22, the party leadership again met him with the appeal to allow me to campaign for SAD candidates in the four assembly bypolls in Punjab. The SAD wanted to contest the November 20 byelections. Our not contesting the bypolls has damaged Punjab and the Panth but we went by the will of Akal Purakh to uphold the respect and maryada of Panthic institutions.”
“However, today the Sikh Panth and Punjab are facing big challenges. I’m not able to help despite wanting to. This situation is affecting the working of the party of the Panth and Punjab. So, I request you once again to issue a decree for me, which I am committed to complying,” he added in the letter.
A few days ago, Akal Takht conducted a meeting with the Sikh scholars to discuss Badal’s issue and took their suggestions. Giani Raghbir Singh had said another meeting will also be conducted in coming days of representatives of Sikh organisations and sects to discuss the issue before taking a final decision regarding Sukhbir and the SAD.