{Takht summons to Sukhbir} Party leaders preparing ‘justifiable’ reply

Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are caught in a tricky situation after the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs – Akal Takht — summoned party president Sukhbir Singh Badal asking him to submit a written reply to the alleged “mistakes” committed during two terms of the SAD-BJP government (2007-17).

Sukhbir was the deputy CM and also held the charge as the state’s home minister and has been asked by the Akal Takht to appear before it and submit a reply within 15 days.

The SAD leaders have already started discussions on the possible reply the party president would present before the Sikh clergy but said that the final call will be taken once they meet the party president.

The deadline for Sukhbir to appear before the Takht ends on July 29 and he is expected to reach Chandigarh on July 22.

“The issues raised in the letter, submitted to Akal Takht, pertain to administration, law and order and religion. Though we are holding discussions at our level, a final decision will be taken once we meet the party president,” said a senior leader, pleading anonymity. The leader added that the president and the entire rank and file of the party are apologetic and ready to face the punishment.

Akal Takht on July 15 summoned Sukhbir and asked him to give a written explanation for the “four mistakes” mentioned in the pardon letter submitted by the rebel group on July 1. The rebel group includes party chief patron Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Surjeet Singh Rakhra, Sikandar Singh Maluka and Gurpartap Singh Wadala who has been named as convener of Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar, a state-wide programme the rebels have launched.

The letter blamed the then SAD-BJP government for failing to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and not acting against police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents, allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP, besides questioning revocation of the case registered against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim for the alleged ‘blasphemous act’ of imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007.

The rebel voices in SAD grew stronger post the Parliamentary polls in which SAD won one seat in Bathinda and lost deposits on 10 seats. Its vote share fell to 13.5% from 18.5% in 2022 state polls in which the party won three seats in the 117-member state assembly. Post results, the rebels asked the SAD president to step down and announced to launch of ‘Akali Dal Bachao Lehar’. Before that SAD also lost the state polls of 2017, and subsequent to that questions were raised about Sukhbir’s leadership.

‘Case against dera chief withdrawn during poll code’

According to the SAD leaders, the case against the dera chief was cancelled in 2017 when the model code of conduct for the assembly election was imposed. “We had no role in the withdrawal of the case because by then the government was rendered non-functional due to poll code and the bureaucracy had taken over,” party’s secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhunder said. The Congress won the elections and SAD was reduced to only 15 seats.

The rebel group’s former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa has already owned up to the other mistake of making former DGP Mohammad Izhar Alam’s wife Farzana Alam contest from the Malerkotla assembly constituency as SAD candidate in 2012. Farzana Alam won and Dhindsas has owned the responsibility for the decision. Parminder’s father then was secretary general of the party and the jathedar had asked Dhindsas to submit a separate apology on the matter. “My father wilfully owned up to the mistake and we are apologetic for that,” Parminder said.

‘Saini’s appointment was administrative matter’

On the appointment of Sumedh Singh Saini as DGP, a SAD leader said that it was an administrative matter and its alliance partner— Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — had an equal share in this decision.

“In running of government there are several kinds of pressures which the parties have to bear, but we accept it was a mistake and we are repenting,” said a senior SAD leader. Both Saini and Alam have been blamed for alleged fake encounters during the days of terrorism in the state.

‘Sacrilege an unfortunate incident’

“The sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib was very unfortunate and it continued even in the Congress government that took over in 2017. It is happening even now, so who is to be blamed,” Bhundar said, adding that society has to take responsibility and these blasphemous acts need to stop.

Speaking on the police action on protests at the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, the SAD leaders said that Sikh sentiment at that point was out of control. “We made best efforts to sort that matter but the law and order situation got out of control, we are sorry for that,” a SAD leader added.