Chandigarh, March 28, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today condemned estranged Akali leader Manpreet Singh Ayali for aligning with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Harjot Bains to seek interference of the Vidhan Sabha to make rules and regulations for appointment of the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Speaking to newsmen here, SAD leaders Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and Arshdeep Singh Kler said Mr Manpreet Ayali, “who claims to believe in the supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, undermined the authority of the Takht by making it smaller than the State assembly.
This shows that Ayali and the rebel Akali leaders are only using the name of Sri Akal Takht for their political ends as on the one side they are conducting a membership drive in the name of Sri Akal Takht but on the other hand they are discussing on creating regulations for appointment of the Jathedar of the Takht as well as laying down the service conditions for the same”. The leaders also asked the rebel Akali leaders to make their stand clear on this issue.
Dr Daljit Cheema also castigated Harjot Bains for trying to initiate a discussion on making rules and regulations for appointment of the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht. He said it was ironic that Bains, who did not believe in the principles of the Takht, had initiated this discussion.
The SAD leader asserted assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan should have stopped the discussion immediately. “Will the Speaker allow issues of other religions to be taken up for discussion in the Vidhan Sabha?” he asked adding the entire discussion should be deleted from the Vidhan Sabha records as it had hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.
Asserting that Ayali was in fact working with the AAP government to undermine the authority of the Takht, Dr Cheema said “there was no need for this discussion once the Shiromani Committee President had made it clear that the SGPC would frame rules for appointment of the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht and a five member committee had also been formed for this purpose. EOM
