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Sukhbir Singh Badal
Sukhbir Singh Badal was elected president of the Shiromani Akali Dal again in the party's general delegate session that took place in Amritsar on Saturday. Badal's name was proposed by party's working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar while party leader Paramjit Singh Sarna seconded it. The session for electing SAD's new president was held at the Teja Singh Samundari hall in the Sri Darbar Sahib complex here. Several senior party leaders including Badal's wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, senior leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal were present. On November 16, 2024, Badal had tendered his resignation from the party president post after he was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht for "mistakes" committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017. In January, his resignation was accepted by the working committee of the party. The SAD, later, conducted the new membership drive.
The working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as party chief, party leaders said. The move came over a month after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh asked the SAD to implement the December 2 edict at the earliest, while referring to the direction of accepting the resignation of Badal. Badal's resignation was accepted in the working committee meeting held at the party's headquarters here. Speaking to reporters after his resignation was accepted, Badal thanked the party workers and leaders for their support. Badal had tendered his resignation as the party chief on November 16 last year but the party's working committee did not accept his resignation, appealing him to reconsider his resignation otherwise the entire committee would resign enmasse. While pronouncing the religious punishment for Badal and other leaders for the "mistakes" committed by the SAD and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017 on December 2
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal Friday claimed the Centre has "declined" the request of Manmohan Singh's family for performing the funeral and last rites at a place where an appropriate memorial may be built. The government announced that a State funeral will be accorded to Singh and it will take place at 11:45 AM Saturday at Nigambodh Ghat. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold the funeral for Singh at a place where a memorial can be built later. He also said that this would be a befitting tribute to a leader of Singh's stature and also in keeping with past traditions of former prime ministers. There is no official word from the government on Kharge's request. However, Badal took to X to post, "Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji's family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where a
A day after he survived a bid on his life, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday performed the duty of 'sewadar' outside Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Punjab's Rupnagar district amid tight security. The former deputy chief minister, a Z+ protectee, arrived at the Ananadpur Sahib shrine surrounded by security personnel. Dressed in blue 'sewadar' uniform, Badal sat at the entrance of the gurdwara with a spear in one hand. He is undergoing religious punishment pronounced by the Akal Takht, the temporal body of Sikhs, for "mistakes" committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government and his party in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. Besides the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Akal Takht has asked Badal to perform the service of 'sewadar' at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib, and Darbar Sahib in Muktsar and Fatehgarh Sahib for two days each. On the second day of his penance at the Golden Temple on Wednesday, Badal had a narrow escape as a former Khalistani terrorist fired
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple in Amritsar and lauded the Punjab Police for averting a "very big" tragedy. Speaking in Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal also hit out at the BJP, saying "very big powers" are conspiring to defame Punjab and people of the state. "The Punjab Police not only averted the tragedy but also set an example of how to maintain law and order," the former Delhi chief minister said. He said that the issue of attack on Badal was raised by the BJP, but the party was silent over the "murders, rapes, shooting in Delhi" where police come under the Central government. A former terrorist opened fire at Badal from a close range while he was performing the duty of 'sewadar' outside the Golden Temple on Wednesday but missed as he was overpowered by a plainclothes policeman. The audacious attack was captured on cameras of mediapersons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly condemned the attack on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was fired at while performing 'sewa' outside the Golden Temple on Wednesday morning, and directed police to investigate the incident. The chief minister also lauded the promptness of the Punjab Police in nabbing the attacker. The man missed Badal as he was overpowered by police. The audacious attack was captured on cameras of media persons who had gathered outside the Sikh shrine to cover the second day of Badal's penance for "mistakes" committed by the SAD government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017. "Punjab Police prevented a major incident from happening today. It is the result of the promptness of the Punjab Police that the conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis has failed," Mann said in a post on X. "The police achieved great success by arresting the assailant on the spot with their promptness... I strongly condemn the attack on Sukhbir Badal ji. I have issued
The 104-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is set for a reorganisation following the Akal Takht's decision to form a committee to oversee elections for the party president's post and other office bearers. The party's political fortunes have waned in recent years under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal, who, three months ago, was declared tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht. On Monday, the Sikh clergy issued a tankhah' (religious punishment) for Badal and other leaders for mistakes committed by the SAD and its government in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. Prior to the pronouncement of the punishment, Badal admitted to several mistakes, including pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh during SAD government's tenure in Punjab. Sukhbir Badal, the former deputy chief minister, was credited with the party's victory in the 2012 assembly elections. However, the SAD won only 15 out of 117 seats in the 2017 elections and just three seats in the 2
The Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht on Monday pronounced 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal for the "mistakes" committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, directing him to perform as a 'sewadar' and clean utensils and shoes at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Pronouncing the order from the 'faseel' (podium) of the Akal Takht in Amritsar, Jathedar of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Giani Raghbir Singh, also directed the working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Badal as party chief, besides forming a committee to hold elections for the post of SAD president and office-bearers within six months. The Jathedar further announced to withdraw the title of 'Fakhre-e-Qaum' bestowed upon former chief minister late Parkash Singh Badal, father of Sukhbir Badal. The five Singh Sahibans (Sikh clergy) also pronounced religious punishment for other Sikh leaders who served as ministers in
Facing rebellion by a section of party leaders, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday dissolved its core committee, the outfit's highest decision-making body. Several senior party leaders, including some from the core committee, had last month demanded that Badal step down as the party chief following its debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. The leaders who had raised the banner of rvolt included former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA Gurpartap Singh Wadala and former ministers Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Surjit Singh Rakhra. Chandumajra, Maluka, Wadala and Rakhra were among the members of the core committee. SAD senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema on Tuesday said the core committee of the SAD has been dissolved. He said that the working committee of the party has authorised Badal to reorganise the party organisation. "In this regard the party President discussed in detail with his senior colleagues
Amid voices emerging within the party calling for a change at the top, the Shiromani Akali Dal core committee Thursday held a detailed discussion on its drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, and reposed full faith in Sukhbir Singh Badal's leadership SAD leader Charanjit Singh Brar wrote an open letter to party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, suggesting him to form a committee in the larger interests of the party. The Badal-led SAD faced a drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as it could manage to win only the Bathinda parliamentary constituency out of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. The SAD also saw a drop in its vote share from 27.45 percent in 2019 to 13.42 percent in 2024 polls. The meeting of SAD's core committee, which is the party's top decision making body, started at 3 pm and continued till 9:30 pm. In a statement, the party said the core committee held a prolonged and in-depth discussion on the prevailing political situation in the state, including analysis and introspection of
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has an "understanding" with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to split AAP into a separate Punjab unit after the elections, like Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde did in Maharashtra, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed on Saturday. Badal made the claim while addressing rallies at Sunam and Dhuri for the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sangrur candidate Iqbal Singh Jhundan. "Bhagwant Mann has compromised with the BJP as he felt he would also be arrested like his boss (Arvind) Kejriwal because he had also perpetrated the same liquor scam as done by AAP in Delhi. This understanding has saved him from arrest," Badal alleged. Shiv Sena leader Shinde became Maharashtra chief minister after parting ways with Uddhav Thackeray and forming an alliance with the BJP. The Election Commission of India has since recognised the Shinde faction as officially representing the Shiv Sena while the Thackeray-led faction has been using the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) name. The