Chandigarh: Two days after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) removed Giani Raghbir Singh as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) stands on the verge of an impending implosion.
Bikram Singh Majithia, one of the senior most leaders of the party and brother-in-law of former Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, has rebelled by taking a public stand against the removal of the Jathedar. Majithia’s statement comes in the wake of some district and block-level party leaders having either resigned from their positions or opposed the SGPC’s decision.
The party’s parliamentary board led by SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder met in Chandigarh Sunday and warned “indisciplined” party leaders of “strict action”, referring the matter to the disciplinary committee of the party.
The board took serious note of the statements by some party leaders against the decisions of SGPC & SAD, according to a party statement. “Indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost. Everyone is free to express his views at the party forum, but nobody can be allowed to violate the party discipline as nobody is above the party,” the statement read.
“All anti-party statements and videos are being referred to the party’s disciplinary committee and show-cause notices will be issued to all. Action will be taken on merit after consideration of their replies.”
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What Majithia said
Majithia, along with six other SAD leaders, including Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, had issued a written statement Saturday night, criticising the SGPC’s move. The statement added that the Akal Takht and its Jathedars commanded the highest respect among Sikhs.
“We are pained by whatever has been happening in the past few months, whether it was directed towards panthic unity or unity of the Akali Dal. But we are all responsible for what is happening and cannot run away from the roles we have played in the situation coming to this. It is our collective responsibility to restore the dignity of the Akal Takht,” Majithia said in the statement.
He also called for unity in the party and reached out to the breakaway faction—Akali Sudhar Lehar—to join hands and strengthen the Akali Dal. “It is unfortunate that today, we are divided because of our differences with one another, and damaging a party that was created by the Akal Takht,” he said.
‘Majithia stabbed Badals in the back’
In response, Bhunder had said in a statement issued by the Akali Dal Sunday that Majithia had “stabbed” the party in the back, despite the fact that he owed his entire political career to the Badals.
“I am the oldest leader of the Akali Dal and whatever Majithia has said has hurt me very deeply. He has unfairly questioned the SGPC’s decision. SGPC is a body of which his great-grandfather, the respected Sundar Singh Majithia, was the first president. The executive committee of the SGPC took the decision regarding the Jathedars after due discussions.”
Bhunder further said: “Majithia was given a position of pride in the Akali Dal because he was part of the family. When he was in deep trouble, the party and Sukhbir Badal stood by him. Now when the Badals are in trouble, he has decided to stab them in the back. We all know why the party is in dire straits and who is responsible for it.”
Talking to media persons later Sunday, Bhunder said that he had said a lot of things in an upset state of mind. “But it is true that Majithia enjoyed the fruits of power, and has now acted in his personal interest, and not that of the party. I am requesting him to review his statements that are not in the interest of the party.”
Amid the current row, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told media persons that this is what happens when a political party starts guiding the religion instead of being guided by it. “It should have been the other way round. But the Akalis have always used the Jathedars, who have been in their pockets. They change them, appoint them, remove them as and when they want.”
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Jathedars’ removal
Reacting to Majithia’s statement, Giani Raghbir Singh told media persons Sunday that the current situation is not in the interest of Sikh institutions. “We need to pray that Sikh institutions gather strength. All those who respect the sanctity of these institutions need to listen to their inner voice and act accordingly.”
Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Sultan Singh were removed as Jathedars of the Akal Takht and Sri Keshgarh Sahib, respectively, Friday amid the ongoing tussle between the Akal Takht and the Akali Dal. The executive committee of the SGPC had found Raghbir Singh “unworthy” of the position and removed him on the grounds that he had failed to “adequately” guide the Sikh community and take a firm stance on critical matters.
This came after SGPC removed Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of the Takht Damdama Sahib last month. The three Sikh Jathedars had declared Sukhbir Singh Badal and other SAD leaders, including Majithia, ‘Tankhaiya’, or sinners of the religion in August last year.
On 2 December, 2024, the three had issued a series of religious punishments against the leaders, while ordering Sukhbir’s removal as party president. Harpreet Singh had gone on to slam the Badals on multiple public forums.
Raghbir Singh and Sultan Singh’s removal is being viewed as a move orchestrated by the Badals to avenge the action taken against them.
The Akali Sudhar Lehar, the party’s breakaway faction, on whose complaint the Akal Takht had acted against the party’s leadership had termed the removal of the three Jathedars as a “black day” in the history of Sikhs.
Majithia’s statement comes days after he was directed by the Supreme Court to appear before a Punjab Police Special Investigation Team probing allegations of his involvement in a decade-old drug case on 17 March.
Majithia was booked in the infamous Jagdish Bhola drug case after the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police reported against him. Majithia has consistently held that the case against him was politically motivated.
When asked about the possibility that the Bharatiya Janata Party was in any way behind Majithia’s revolt in the SAD, Bhunder said that he could not say anything at this stage because he did not have proof of anything. “But the circumstances in which decisions have been taken also need to be seen. It is for the public to judge for themselves.”
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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