CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced Sunday a crackdown on “indiscipline” within the organisation and drafted show-cause notices to Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of ex-party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, and all other functionaries who made statements or put out videos criticising Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s decision last Friday to sack the

Akal Takht

and

Keshgarh Sahib

jathedars.
“Everyone is free to express views at the appropriate party forum, but nobody will be allowed to violate discipline as nobody is above the party. All anti-party statements and videos are being referred to the disciplinary committee. Action will be taken after consideration of their replies to show-cause notices,” SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder said.
Party spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the alleged breach of speaking out in public against the decisions of

SGPC

and SAD was discussed at the parliamentary board’s meeting in Chandigarh.
The meeting was convened after Majithia and six other SAD functionaries issued a joint statement condemning SGPC’s decision to remove

Giani Raghbir Singh

as Akal Takht chief and

Giani Sultan Singh

as Takht Keshgarh Sahib jathedar. The group demanded Panthic unity.

“There have been much bigger crises (in Akali Dal). He (Majithia) should not have made this statement. As a SAD functionary, he played the role of ‘super CM’ for 10 years and is today issuing such statements…. Given his relationship with the (Badal) family, he should have sat down with them and talked it out. This is wrong,” Bhunder told TOI.
He denied that SAD’s foundation was shaken by this show of dissent. “Earlier, nine people went with Sudhar Lehar, and this is not a bigger storm than that.” Targeting Sudhar Lehar members, Bhunder said they were “using religion for personal interest”.
Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who is a member of Akal Takht-constituted oversight panel for SAD’s membership drive, said Majithia’s statement proved that a section of SAD functionaries was upset over the party not implementing Akal Takht’s directions.
“The churn has begun…It will intensify in the wake of none other than Majithia going against his brother-in-law and raising questions about the state of affairs in the party”.
Punjab Congress

chief Raja Warring wrote on X that the dispute was a “fixed match to keep power within the family”. “If Majithia is truly driven by Panthic conscience, why didn’t he oppose the removal of Giani Harpreet Singh Ji, the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib?”
Now,

Nihang groups

have threatened to scuttle the installation of anew jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib on Monday, while also seeking the immediate reinstatement of the sacked jathedars.