The Akal Takht-constituted five-member panel on Tuesday launched the Shiromani Akali Dal recruitment drive after providing ardas (prayer) on the highest Sikh temporal seat within the Golden Temple advanced within the presence of insurgent SAD leaders.
Former Akal Takht performing jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh performing ‘ardas’ within the presence of the committee members to launch the membership drive for the Shiromani Akali Dal in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)
The ardas was recited by Giani Harpreet Singh, who was a part of the December 2 hukamnama (Sikh decree) issued by the Panj Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) as Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar and was sacked by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee govt panel on February 10.
Led by the panel, comprising Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur, the insurgent Akali leaders gathered on the Akal Takht. Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, a descendent of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, and religious chief Baba Sewa Singh Rampur Khera had been additionally current on the event.
“The recruitment drive has been initiated in compliance with the December 2 hukamnama, aimed at reorganising and reviving the SAD, a representative political party of the Sikhs. The sangat (community) has given a tremendous response. We appeal to the people of Punjab to become members of the party,” Jhunda advised mediapersons.
A camp for the membership drive was organised on Heritage Road that results in the Golden Temple. Membership types had been crammed by the leaders and their supporters. The types had been printed below the title of Shiromani Akali Dal (Bharati Committee). There is no such thing as a membership charge.
When the five-member panel got here out of Golden Temple advanced after the ardas, the Akal Takht secretariat employees handed over letters to every of them on behalf of newly appointed performing jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, who invited them for a gathering.
“A discussion on Panthic unity was held. We have suggested ways to bring all groups on a platform,” Wadala mentioned after the 45-minute assembly.
The Akal Takht’s December 2 decree not solely awarded tankhah (spiritual punishment) to former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and different SAD leaders for errors dedicated by the get together and its authorities from 2007-17 on the grievance of insurgent get together leaders, but in addition directed the SAD working committee to just accept Badal’s resignation as SAD president moreover constituting a seven-member committee to provoke a recruitment drive and elect new office-bearers in six months. The decree mentioned the SAD management had misplaced the ethical proper to steer the neighborhood.
Nonetheless, the Badal faction initiated a recruitment drive below a SAD working committee, citing legalities. It was termed as violation of the decree. Regardless of criticism, the Badal faction continued the drive. The panel confronted a setback after its coordinator Harjinder Singh Dhami and member Kirpal Singh Badungar stop. Nonetheless, as then Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh issued a contemporary course to the Takht panel to provoke the drive in February, the remaining members of the panel launched the marketing campaign on Tuesday.