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The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday formally accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as the president of the party. Badal had stepped down from the position in November last year after being declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Akal Takht.
“The delegate session of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) gave me a huge responsibility of being the president of the party and serving the party. In the last five years, I did whatever was possible towards serving the party. I thank the workers and leadership who supported me. Since I have completed 5 years, I appeared before Sri Akal Takht Sahib…I presented my resignation before the working committee. But they did not accept my resignation due to some reasons. So, I appeared before them especially so that a new party chief could be elected,” Badal said after his resignation was accepted.
“The SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal submitted his resignation to the working committee of the party today to pave the way for the election of a new president. He thanked all the party leaders and workers for expressing confidence in his leadership and extending wholehearted support and cooperation throughout his tenure,” Daljit Singh Cheema said in a post on X in November.
Badal’s resignation came shortly after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct.
This request followed more than two months of waiting since he was declared ‘tankhaiya’ on August 30 last year for “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government in Punjab between 2007 and 2017.
In light of the charges, Badal stepped back from actively leading the party in August last year, delegating responsibilities to the working committee under senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar. On November 16, he officially resigned as party president ahead of the religious punishment from the Akal Takht.
After he was found guilty of taking “wrong political decisions”, Badal arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in a wheelchair in December last year.
The former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab was also wearing a plaque around his neck acknowledging his “misdeeds” and holding a spear.
