SAD working committee accepts Sukhbir Badal’s resignation as party chief

Finally bowing before the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working committee on Friday accepted the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as the party president.

The development comes two days after the Akal Takht Jathedar took a tough stance on the issue in a meeting with the SAD leaders, who had not implemented his directions on re-organisation of the party.

SAD spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema announced this here after the working committee meeting.

The SAD had been arguing that the party's constitution and its registration as a political party under the Constitution demanded it to remain secular; so receiving and implementing the directions of the Akal Takht would amount to violating the conditions of the registration.

Sukhbir had stepped aside from "actively" leading the party on August 30 last year, when he handed over the charge of running the party affairs to the working committee under Balwinder Singh Bhundar. On November 16, he had resigned from the post of president ahead of receiving religious punishment from the Akal Takht.