Sukhbir Singh Badal Steps Down: Shiromani Akali Dal Accepts Resignation

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday resigned as the party chief as he tendered his resignation to the party leadership. As per reports, the SAD has also accepted the resignation tendered by Sukhbir Singh Badal. Now, following the resignation of Badal, the top leadership of the SAD will now choose a new party president. 

The Shiromani Akali Dal 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.

After the acceptance of his resignation, Sukhbir Singh Badal said, "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."

"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.

Sukhbir Badal's resignation as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief came after he urged the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, to pronounce his punishment for religious misconduct. This move followed over two months of waiting since he was declared 'tankhaiya' on August 30 last year.

The charges against Badal and the SAD government in Punjab between 2007 and 2017 led to him stepping back from actively leading the party in August. He delegated responsibilities to the working committee under senior leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar. On November 16, Badal officially resigned as party president ahead of the religious punishment.

As part of his punishment, Badal arrived at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in a wheelchair in December, wearing a plaque acknowledging his "misdeeds" and holding a spear. The Akal Takht directed SAD leaders to clean washrooms, wash utensils, and undertake other religious duties to atone for their actions, including granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2015.¹

The punishment also included other SAD leaders, such as Sucha Singh Langah, Hira Singh Gabria, and Balwinder Singh Bhundar, who were directed to clean washrooms and utensils at the Golden Temple.