Shiromani Akali Dal accepts Sukhbir Badal's resignation as party chief

Shiromani Akali Dal accepts Sukhbir Badal's resignation as party chief

Shiromani Akali Dal accepts Sukhbir Badal's resignation as party chief ByHT News Desk Jan 10, 2025 07:42 PM IST Share Via Copy Link Sukhbir 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.

The working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as party chief, PTI reported, citing party leaders.

Sukhbir Singh Badal.(PTI)

Badal's resignation was accepted in the working committee meeting held at the party's headquarters in Chandigarh.

The move came over a month after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh had asked the SAD to implement the December 2 edict at the earliest.

On December 2, the Akal Takht had ordered the SAD working committee to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal, who had been declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for the mistakes committed during the SAD regime in Punjab.

It had also formed a panel to appoint new delegates and hold elections for the post of SAD president and other office-bearers within six months.

After his resignation was accepted, Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked party workers and leaders for their support.

“In the last five years, I did whatever was possible towards serving the party. I thank the workers and leadership who supported me,” Badal told reporters, according to ANI.

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 to him to reconsider his resignation otherwise the entire committee would resign en masse.

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\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, the Akal Takht also directed the SAD's working committee to accept the resignation of Badal as party chief and other leaders.

Badal was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, on August 30 last year. He had undergone religious punishment.

Also Read | Don’t drag your feet, accept Sukhbir’s resignation, jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh tells SAD

On December 4, a former militant Narain Singh Chaura had fired at Sukhbir from close range -- while the latter was undergoing tankhah (religious punishment) for the “mistakes” of his party – but had missed the shot as he was overpowered by policemen in plain clothes and later arrested.