The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) breakaway faction on Friday refuted allegations that party president Giani Harpreet Singh, then jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, had met rebel group leaders at Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s residence in Chandigarh before the December 2, 2024, Akal Takht decree that removed Sukhbir Singh Badal from the post of party head.
Giani Harpreet Singh was elected SAD faction head on August 11.
On Thursday, SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Maheshinder Singh Grewal had alleged that during his speech at Longowal event, one of the breakaway faction leader Prem Singh Chandumajra had admitted to the conspiracy to split the SAD and form a breakaway faction under Giani Harpreet Singh’s presidency was hatched at the Dhindsa’s residence in the presence of all other ‘rebel’ Akali leaders long before Akal Takht pronounced its December 2, 2024 edict.
Terming the statements ‘a lie being spread by the Sukhbir camp, Gurpartap Singh Wadala said Giani Harpreet met Dhindsa senior, who passed away on May 28 this year, after he was removed as jathedar by the SGPC.
“Giani Harpeet Singh never met Dhindsas at their Chandigarh residence in the capacity as a head priest. It is a sheer lie spread by the SAD camp led by Sukhbir Singh Badal,” said Gurpartap Singh Wadala while addressing a press conference here.
Wadala was the head of the ‘Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar’, which had approached the Akal Takht with a complaint against SAD over the mistakes committed by the party during its governments from 2007 to 2017.
Wadala, along with Surjeet Singh Rakhra and Sukhdev Dhindsa’s son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, added that Giani Harpreet came to Dhindsa’s house in February.
His son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, a former finance minister, who is currently with the breakaway faction, also denied any meeting between Giani Harpeet and his father with the motive of hatching a conspiracy to dislodge Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“Sukhbir-led SAD is levelling frivolous allegations to divert people’s attention,” Parminder said.
“There was no conspiracy as alleged by SAD leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Maheshinder Singh Grewal during their media interaction on Thursday. Chandumajra,ji, while speaking, might have erred in the chronology of the events, ” Wadala said, adding that the Sukhbir camp leaders are falsely trying to establish a connection between Giani Harpeet’s meeting with Dhindsa and the Akal Takht’s December 2 edict. Chandumajra said SAD is exploiting the situation and putting words into his mouth. “They are spreading weird theories because they have come to know that our party has much bigger acceptance among the masses”, he further said.