Mon Dec 02 22:10:43 UTC 2024: ## Sukhbir Singh Badal Resigns as Shiromani Akali Dal President Amidst Religious Misconduct Allegations
**Chandigarh, India** – Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has resigned from his post following accusations of religious misconduct. The announcement comes after the Akal Takht, the highest religious body of the Sikhs, found him guilty. The 62-year-old, son of the late five-time Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, has paved the way for a leadership election within the party.
Political analysts in Punjab see Badal’s resignation as a strategic move, a “masterstroke,” despite the party facing its most severe crisis in its 104-year history. The SAD, founded in 1920, is India’s second oldest party after the Indian National Congress. It has a turbulent history marked by multiple splits and factions throughout its existence, particularly during the peak of militancy in Punjab in the 1980s. These splits resulted in the formation of various splinter groups, including Akali Dal Longowal and Akali Dal United. Further divisions occurred in 1986 and 1987, with various factions merging and splitting repeatedly over the years. Even today, some of these breakaway factions remain active.
Badal’s resignation follows internal turmoil within the SAD, with senior leaders forming a separate group, ‘Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar,’ and voicing grievances. This led to the Akal Takht issuing a decree against Badal, declaring him guilty of religious misconduct and banning him from political activity. The accusations pertain to alleged irregularities during his tenure, severely damaging the image of the Sikh faith.
Badal’s leadership of the SAD has been challenged in recent years as the party’s influence has waned. His departure leaves the party at a crucial juncture, prompting questions about whether the party leadership will remain within the Badal family or be assumed by an outsider. The party’s future is now uncertain.
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