Latest news with #Sukhbir
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Sukhbir Badal avoids direct response to Sunil Jakhar's call for BJP-SAD alliance
Bathinda: (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday sidestepped calls from Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar for a renewed alliance between the two former political partners, saying elections were still distant and that "time will tell". Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also tore down the state's land pooling plan as anti-farmer. Speaking at a party rally in Zira, Sukhbir refrained from addressing Jakhar's statement directly, that a BJP-SAD alliance was crucial to preserving communal harmony in Punjab. "We welcome anyone who supports Punjab's progress," Badal said, without confirming or rejecting the proposal. Jakhar, a former Congress member, had reiterated on Sunday that an alliance between the BJP and SAD was "the need of the hour", amid concerns about rising divisive forces. He had made similar appeals before the 2024 general elections. The rally also marked the induction of Harpreet Singh Hero, son of late Akali bigwig Harcharan Singh Hero, into the SAD. Harpreet was appointed party's constituency in-charge for Zira. Sukhbir used the occasion to criticise both the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), blaming them for launching what he called a "malicious campaign" against the SAD in connection with the 2015 sacrilege cases. He pointed to recent remarks by Congress members Pargat Singh and Sukhjinder Randhawa, in which he said they had admitted that their party had politicised the issue without intent to deliver justice. "The truth is surfacing finally," Sukhbir said. "The Congress only wanted to defame us, not punish those responsible for the sacrilege." Turning his focus to the AAP govt, Sukhbir accused its leadership of prioritising profits over Punjab's interests, alleging that deals were made with Delhi-based builders to acquire and redistribute 40,000 acres of fertile farmland. "These transactions are meant to fill party coffers at the expense of our farmers," he claimed. Senior SAD member Janmeja Singh Sekhon also addressed the crowd, urging people to compare the development during SAD's 2007–2017 tenure with the "administrative failures" of the Congress and AAP govts that had followed.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Azad Group joins SAD, Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa to contest Tarn Taran bypoll
Jhabal (Tarn Taran): Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday announced Azad Group president Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa as the party's candidate for the Tarn Taran bypoll, marking the merger of the grassroots group into the SAD. The merger is a shot in the arm for the SAD in the rural, border constituency. Addressing a rally where he made the announcement, Sukhbir said Randhawa, along with 43 serving sarpanches, eight municipal councillors, and several former sarpanches and chairmen, had joined the SAD. He also declared Randhawa as the party's halqa in-charge for Tarn Taran. The bypoll was necessitated by June 27 passing away of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal. The Election Commission is yet to announce a date for the bypoll, but the AAP, the BJP and the SAD have already started work for the electoral contest. Three-time MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu joined the AAP last week, while BJP announced former minister Surjit Kumar Jyani as its in-charge for the constituency just a day later. Sandhu had quit SAD in 2024. At the rally in Tarn Taran's Jhabal village, Sukhbir said senior SAD functionary Gulzar Singh Ranike would be the in-charge for the bypoll campaign. He appealed to Punjabis to unite under the Akali flag to counter "outside forces" who wanted to loot the state. "These forces were behind the 2015 acts of sacrilege which were committed with the sole aim of weakening SAD. We have already called for an independent probe into these sacrilege cases as it feels that only a free-and-fair probe can unmask AAP's role in these heinous incidents," Sukhbir said. He said the AAP's role in the incidents of sacrilege was evident from the conviction of its legislator for sacrilege of the Quran. Randhawa said parties often neglected Punjab after coming to power and accused AAP govt of handing over the state's control to Delhi.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Takht-appointed committee invites Sukhbir to join joint election process
A committee formed by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, has invited Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal to take part in the election of office-bearers for the party, to be elected within a month. The rebel faction of the SAD plans to elect 500 delegates, nearly the same number as the delegates of the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal . (HT File) The rebel faction of the SAD plans to elect 500 delegates, nearly the same number as the delegates of the SAD led by Sukhbir. 'We are in the process of finalising the list of members. After that we will announce the delegates, three to four from all 117 assembly constituencies in the state,' said Manpreet Singh Ayali, a leader of the rebel faction and one of the five members in the committee constituted by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year, to enrol members for the SAD and hold election of office-bearers. The Akal Takht's December 2, 2024, decree not only awarded tankhah (religious punishment) to Sukhbir and other SAD leaders for mistakes committed by the party and its government from 2007-2017 on the complaint of rebel party leaders, but also directed the SAD working committee to accept his resignation as SAD president, besides constituting a seven-member committee to initiate a recruitment drive and elect new office-bearers in six months. However, the Sukhbir faction initiated a recruitment drive under a SAD working committee, citing legalities. It was termed as violation of the decree. Despite criticism, the Sukhbir faction continued the drive. The panel faced a setback after its coordinator Harjinder Singh Dhami and member Kirpal Singh Badungar quit. 'We have already enrolled 12 lakh members, with an additional 14 lakh pending verification. After this, we will proceed with electing the delegates, who will then vote to elect the party's office-bearers, including the president,' Ayali said. The committee has given Sukhbir a one-month window to respond to their invitation and take part in the joint election process involving delegates from both the Akal Takht committee and the SAD's recent reorganisation. The Akal Takht-appointed committee has also expanded its membership campaign beyond Punjab, reaching out to Haryana, Chandigarh and even international communities. 'The response has been overwhelmingly positive, both domestically and abroad,' Ayali noted. 'We are currently in the process of counting the total number of enrollments.' The committee's key members include Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhundan, Bibi Satwant Kaur and Santa Singh Umaidpur. While the Akal Takht committee has extended the invitation, SAD leaders have chosen not to comment until they receive a formal communication. 'We have reorganised the party, and Sukhbir Singh Badal was unanimously re-elected as president in April 2023,' a senior SAD leader said. 'There is no basis for a re-election at this point.' Sukhbir's journey as the SAD president has been marked by ups and downs. He was first elected to the position in 2008 and was re-elected for a fourth term in April 2023, making him the longest-serving and youngest president in the party's 104-year history. However, Sukhbir resigned from his post in November 2023 following a ruling by the Akal Takht, which declared him guilty of religious misconduct due to alleged actions of the party and its government between 2007 and 2017. His resignation was officially accepted in January 2024. Sukhbir survived an assassination attempt in December 2023 by a former Khalistani terrorist while performing sewa at Amritsar's Golden Temple. When Sukhbir was out of the post of the party president, Balwinder Singh Bhundar was the working president, who now is number 2 in the party as secretary general.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kejriwal responsible for increased extortion and targeted killings in Punjab: SAD chief
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday held AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal 'responsible for the collapse of law and order situation and steep rise in extortion and targeted killings in Punjab'. 'Punjab is slipping into lawlessness, but Kejriwal, who is ruling the state as proxy, is only interested in collecting money,' Sukhbir alleged, urging the people to 'unite to stop the loot of Punjab and its resources by Kejriwal'. Sukhbir made statements during his visit to Moga to enquire about the condition of Dr Aniljit Kamboj, who continues to be on ventilator support at a private hospital after being shot at by alleged associates of designated terrorist Lakhbir Landa, alias Landa Harike. The former chief minister said, 'Targeted killings have increased drastically. Renowned businessman Sanjay Verma of Abohar was gunned down a few days ago. The situation has become so bad that prominent businessmen have started investing in other states. People in the state are in perpetual fear as they have no trust in the state security apparatus to safeguard their lives.' Sukhbir said, 'Previous SAD governments had a stellar record as far as maintaining law and order is concerned. The SAD has always stood for peace and communal harmony. We made this a reality during our stints in power.' Badal said the situation 'deteriorated to such an extent because Punjab is being remote-controlled from Delhi. Delhiwalas have no interest in the welfare of Punjabis; they are busy looting the state.' Later, the SAD president held meetings with party leaders and workers in Jagraon and Ludhiana over the July 15 protest against the AAP government's land pooling scheme. 'We will not allow even one inch of land to be acquired,' Sukhbir said, alleging: 'The AAP government wants to grab 24,000 acres of fertile land on the periphery of Ludhiana City in the name of the land pooling scheme. Party units in Jagraon and Ludhiana told me that they would not let the nefarious design of the AAP government to sell the 24,000 acres to builders of Delhi succeed at any cost.' 'Farmers have realised that their fertile land is going to be acquired forcibly for peanuts under an old acquisition law,' Badal added.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Global Sikh Council urges unity, affirms Akal Takht's supreme authority
AMRTISAR: The one-upmanship between Akal Takht and Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib has attracted the attention of the UK-based Global Sikh Council (GSC) that has issued an appeal to all Sikh institutions and sangat to recognise only the Sikh's supreme temporal seat, Akal Takht's supremacy, and has asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take action against the persons or institutions undermining Sikh sovereignty. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lady Singh (Dr Kanwaljit Kaur), President of GSC, informed on Wednesday that regional Takhats, because of their regional jurisdiction, cannot have anything other than regional jurisdiction over local issues. Citing the example of declaring tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President , Kanwaljit said Sukhbir is not a resident of Patna or Bihar, and the alleged allegations against him are not of a regional but national nature. So, he, his party, and his actions are clearly outside the jurisdiction of this regional Takhat, she added. Notably, in the recent past, Takht Sri Patna Sahib declared Sukhbir a tankhaiya, following which Akal Takht declared Patna Sahib's edict null and void. In the past, Akal Takht barred Takht Sri Patna Sahib Jathedar and head 'granthi' Giani Baldev Singh and additional head 'granthi' Gurdial Singh from performing 'panthic' duties. In retaliation, Takht Patna Sahib declared the officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gragaj, and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Tek Singh 'tankhaiya' and also summoned Sukhbir to appear before them, but he didn't. Claiming that GSC encompasses member organisations from across the globe, she said that they are of a unanimous view that Akal Takht holds exclusive jurisdiction over Panthic decisions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Regional Takhts have to function in coordination with and under the leadership of Akal Takht, which remains the central institution of Sikh governance and unity under the 'Panj Pardhani' system,' said she, while adding that it is tragic that a revered Takht like Patna Sahib is being exploited by political proxies to fragment Sikh unity and bypass established religious conventions at their behest. However, she didn't identify the political proxies fragmenting Sikh unity. 'GSC has urged all Sikh institutions and sangat to recognise only Akal Takht's supremacy, and we have also asked the SGPC to take action against erring committee members who are undermining Sikh sovereignty,' said Kanwaljit Kaur while also asking the Patna Sahib committee to introspect.
