Chandigarh, October 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Giani Harpreet Singh, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal Punar-Surjit, has said that the sequence of events at Sri Akal Takht Sahib on December 2, 2024, was aimed solely at reviving the Akali Dal as a regional and Panthic party and promoting unity within the Sikh community.
In a written press statement, Giani Harpreet Singh alleged that certain individuals attempted to derail the process by accusing the Panj Singh Sahibaan, or the five Sikh high priests, of conspiracy, disregarding established religious decorum. He said the Jathedars were subsequently humiliated and removed from their positions.
He maintained that the decision taken at the time was intended to save the Shiromani Akali Dal and was made under the divine guidance of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, adding that it had been accepted by the Panth.
Referring to the process for electing the party president under the directives issued by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh said the president could have been elected through a democratic process. However, he alleged that individuals seeking the top position had bypassed the official directives, or Hukumnamas, and imposed themselves as party presidents.
Questioning the calls for Panthic unity by those who had opposed the directives, he asked how individuals who had described the edicts of Sri Akal Takht Sahib as a “conspiracy to murder them” could now claim to be working for unity.
He said that those genuinely committed to Panthic unity should visit Sri Akal Takht Sahib, seek forgiveness from the Guru and the Sikh Panth for their defiance, and offer an apology. Such a step, he added, would demonstrate their sincerity to the Sikh community and the people of Punjab.
Giani Harpreet Singh also directed leaders of his party to keep the December 2 directives in mind before making any statements concerning unity. He noted that he himself had approached Sri Akal Takht Sahib in connection with those directives.
He said that aligning with other groups out of a desire for positions or political power could not be described as Panthic unity. According to him, such an arrangement would benefit neither the Panth nor Punjab, nor would it serve the interests of those seeking power through such an alliance.
Commenting on statements made by some leaders outside the party line, Giani Harpreet Singh said they might reflect the individuals’ personal views but did not represent the policies or principles of the Akali Dal, which he said had been revived in accordance with the Hukumnamas issued on December 2.
The statement was issued to the press by S. Tajinder Singh Pannu, media in-charge of the party.
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