SGPC members of SAD rally behind Sukhbir Badal, says party

Chandigarh, Jul 2 (PTI) As many as 106 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members have rallied behind Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and committed their loyalty towards him, the party said on Tuesday.

After a meeting of the SGPC members with Badal here, SAD vice-president Daljit Singh Cheema said that in today's meeting 93 members were physically present, six members were out of the country, five members were not maintaining good health whereas two members were engaged in family affairs.

"All the 106 members have committed complete loyalty towards Sukhbir Singh Badal and reposed faith in his leadership," Cheema said.

Notably, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) enjoys a majority in the SGPC general house.

SAD candidate Harjinder Singh Dhami, who was re-elected as the SGPC president last year, was present in the meeting.

Last week a day after a section of the SAD leaders revolted against Badal, the party had on Wednesday said its working committee reposed faith in his leadership.

In today's meeting in which former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar was also present, the preparation for the voters lists for the upcoming SGPC elections was also discussed, the SAD said in a statement.

"Further, the members expressed concern over the incident of two baptised Sikh women being disallowed to take the Rajasthan Judicial services examination recently. They strongly condemned the authorities concerned for being biased towards the Sikh community by showing disrespect to their religious symbols," the statement said.

Earlier on Monday, the Istri Akali Dal or the Shiromani Akali Dal's women wing had expressed complete faith in Badal's leadership and said that he was best suited to lead the party at this juncture.

A section of senior SAD leaders have revolted against Badal, demanding that he should step down as the party chief following the party's debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

Among prominent leaders who have raised a banner of revolt include former MP Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, ex-MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and party leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur.

The rebel SAD leaders on Monday appeared before the jathedar of the Akal Takht and apologised for the "mistakes" committed when their party was in power in the state.

They handed the apology letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh at the Akal Takht Secretariat at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Akal Takht is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.

The leaders sought forgiveness for the "four mistakes" during the former SAD regime between 2007 and 2017, including the failure to punish those responsible for the 2015 sacrilege incidents. PTI SUN AS AS