Sukhbir Singh Badal tendered his resignation as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president after being declared ‘Tankhaiya’ or guilty of religious misconduct by the Akal Takht, one of five takhts (seats of power) of the Sikhs.
Sukhbir Singh Badal’s decision to step down was announced by senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Saturday. His successor will be elected soon, Cheema added, adding that Badal submitted his resignation to the party’s working committee.
“The SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the working Committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of a new President. He thanked all the party leaders & workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support & cooperation throughout the tenure,” said Cheema in a post on X.
On August 30, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh declared Badal ‘tankhaiya’ for “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017. Badal’s resignation came days after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct charges, saying more than two months have passed since he was declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct).
After Badal failed to get any temporary relief from the Akal Takht, the SAD announced on October 24 that it would not contest the bypolls.
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian also reacted and said, “When you have nothing in your pocket, and the clothes are torn, you must remove that. The work that they (SAD) have done when they were in existence – they created problems for people. The people of Punjab are now happy to be with AAP…”
The resignation marks a turning point for the Shiromani Akali Dal, which has faced political challenges and criticism for failing to address key issues in Punjab. The new presidential election is expected to realign the party’s priorities and strengthen its position in the country.