CHANDIGARH: The Akal Takht Jathedar (High Priest) Giani Raghbir Singh told mediapersons on Saturday that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is yet to implement the December 2 edict ‘in toto’ and that the body cannot overlook the seven-member committee set up to reorganise the party.Committee members are to approach Akal Takht to seek further directions and proceed accordingly. Singh has asked the party to immediately make operational the panel headed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami. He said that the seven-member panel formed by the temporal seat of Sikhs was in existence and the party would have to abide by its directions. “The non-implementation of the order amounted to ‘dilly-dallying’,” he added. “In compliance with the decree of Akal Takht, a meeting of the SAD working committee was held during which the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal was accepted. It is a welcome move. But a seven-member committee constituted by Akal Takht Sahib has not been dissolved. It still stands and should start working. I already said a few days ago that the SAD must fully comply with the December 2 decree,” Singh said.”If no mention regarding the seven-member committee was made during the meeting of the working committee, we can again say that the SAD is showing reluctance in implementing the directives,” he added. The seven-member panel includes rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Santa Singh Umaidpur, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Iqbal Singh Jhoondan and Satwant Kaur. Talking to TNIE, rebel Akali Dal leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala says, “all the seven members of the committee will be calling on the Jathedar shortly and then ask him for further directives for them and proceed accordingly. As all the members feel that the Akali Dal should have followed the edict of the Akal Takht in totality. Additionally, a foolproof method has to be adopted for the membership drive in the party so that there is no fake membership, with proper returning persons, circle in-charges and cross-checks. The Akali Dal is following the fractional method.” Meanwhile, the party’s Dakha MLA and leader of the legislative party in the state assembly Manpreet Singh Ayali and the party’s Panthic Advisory Board member Santa Singh Umaidpur refused to accept the new duties allocated to them by the party working committee. Ayali was made the in-charge of party affairs in Rajasthan while Umaidpur was given a similar role in Himachal Pradesh. Ayali is of the view that the edict by the Akal Takht Jathedar is supreme and he will abide by it. Umaidpur also said the party should follow the directions of the Akal Takht over reorganization efforts. The Akali Dal leadership is not been keen to accept Takht’s directed to re-organisation of the party as party leaders argue that it would violate the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, which might, as per the legal experts consulted by the party might lead to de-recognition by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
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