Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday appointed Balwinder Singh Bhundar, secretary general of the party and chairman of the disciplinary committee as well as the parliamentary board, as the working president of the Akali Dal.
The decision comes ahead of the meeting of the five Sikh high priests at the Akal Takht to discuss the complaint against Sukhbir and his reply on Friday.
The dissident group of Akali leaders, Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar, rejected Sukhbir’s move, arguing that he should resign.
Given Bhundar’s record in defending Sukhbir throughout the SAD crisis and remaining his loyalist, he appears to be Sukhbir’s proxy, when the latter has already once again strengthened his grip on the party structure after throwing out the dissenting group of senior Akali leaders.
The decision to expel the dissident SAD leaders was also taken by Bhundar, who remained a loyalist of late Parkash Singh Badal throughout his career.
Sukhbir has taken the step when pressure has been mounting on the Sikh high priests that their decision should be according to the sentiments in the community and not just confined to traditional ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment).
The common refrain of such pleas is that the decision should be political punishment too. In the last two months, since the crisis erupted and was then taken to the Akal Takht by the dissenting group, things have not improved for Sukhbir or Akali Dal at the level of perception.
The clergy is also facing the challenge to make its decision acceptable to the wider community as the experience shows that their decisions can face strong criticism and even derision unless it appears fair and befitting the Sikh traditions.
SAD secretary Daljit Singh Cheema said that Sukhbir had submitted himself to the Akal Takht as a humble Sikh and he desired that when the issue was being heard on Friday, somebody else should take the responsibility of the party.
“He will accept the edict of the Akal Takht as a humble Sikh. He wished that when the matter is being heard tomorrow, he would look towards it as a humble Sikh than as president of the party,” Cheema said.
However, dissident leaders questioned and criticised the move calling it another clever attempt “aimed at befooling the people”, reflecting Sukhbir’s arrogance and his desperation to cling on to the post of the president.
In a joint statement, SAD Sudhar Lehar leaders Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra and Charanjit Singh Brar, said that their demand according to the wishes of the Akali workers was that Sukhbir should resign and not appoint somebody as a working president.
“Firstly, the working president has no power and secondly, Bhundar was himself a partner in all the wrongs due to which the issue has reached the Akal Takht,” they argued.
“Sukhbir is still not showing any spirit of giving up and is taking decisions which suit him whereas the panth would not accept these. He has read what is written on the wall but is still not giving up his greed for the post of the president, which reflects his arrogance. Had he any affection for the panth, he would have relinquished his post and formed a common ‘panch pardhani’ (collective command of the five) before the meeting of the Singh Sahibans,” they said.
They also ridiculed Daljit Singh Cheema’s argument saying that earlier also it was said that Sukhbir appears as a humble Sikh.
“He is still not ready to give up his post despite committing a big crime and how does this reflect his humility. Bhundar’s appointment is aimed at fooling people and he intends to take all the decisions,” they alleged, adding that decisions should be according to the sentiments of the community.
“It is a case of one accused appointing another accused in his place and that too when the matter is pending before the Akal Takht. How can Sukhbir himself decide who would lead the party when he himself is in the dock,” argued former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur.