After Majithia utterances, SAD says indiscipline will not be tolerated

Chandigarh: A day after the virtual "coup" by senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who along with six other party leaders came out against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decision to remove Giani Raghbir Singh as Akal Takht chief and Giani Sultan Singh as Takht Kesgarh Sahib jathedar, the SAD parliamentary board on Sunday warned party leaders that "indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost". The board also decided to issue show-cause notices to all party leaders who issued statements or put out videos "against the decisions of SGPC & SAD".
SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said after the meeting, "Party working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar took serious notice of statements/videos of some party leaders against the decisions of SGPC & SAD. This issue was also taken up in the meeting of parliamentary board at Chandigarh on Sunday."
The meeting was also attended by Gulzar Singh Ranike, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal and Hira Singh Gabria.
In the meeting Bhunder warned against breaching discipline. "Everyone is free to express his views at the party forum, but nobody would be allowed to violate the party discipline as nobody is above the party. All such anti-party statements and videos are being referred to party disciplinary committee & show-cause notices will be issued to all. Action will be taken after consideration of their replies."
The meeting of the parliamentary board was held after the statement by Majithia — the brother-in-law of former SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal — opposing the SGPC decision, triggered similar condemnation by several other party leaders.
Bhunder, when contacted, said, "There have been much bigger crises [in Akali Dal]. He [Majithia] should not have made this statement. [As leader of SAD], he played a 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 and talked. This is wrong."
Denying any impact of the statement, he said, "Earlier, nine persons went with the Sudhar Lehar and this is not a bigger storm than that."
Attacking the Sudhar Lehar members, Bhunder said "they are only taking refuge in religion.... and using religion for personal interests".
On the other hand, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, who is a member of Akal Takht-constituted oversight panel for SAD's membership drive, said "the statement by Majithia has proved that a section of SAD leaders were upset over the party not implementing the Akal Takht directions."
Continuing in similar vein, Wadala said, "A churning has started ... It will grow further in coming days 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, in a post on X, however, termed the developments as a "fixed match" to "keep power within, the family".
Warring said, "If Majithia was truly driven by Panthic conscience, why didn't he oppose the removal of Giani Harpreet Singh Ji, Jathedar Takht Damdama Sahib?"