SUKHBIR BADAL RESIGNS, MAY BE BACK AS SAD CHIEF SOON

Former Punjab deputy Chief Minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has quit his position, two months after being declared a "Tankhaiya" (guilty of violating the Sikh religious code).

- PANKAJ VOHRA

There is strong speculation that Badal had been nudged to resign, ahead of the delayed decision of the Akal Takht, which has to give its ruling on the allegations of mistakes he made between 2007 and 2017, and that caused harm to the image of the Panth and damage to the Sikh interests.

The delay on part of the Akal Takht has also been a subject of a controversy since the supreme body has never taken so long in arriving at its verdict.

The resignation by Sukhbir also coincides with the visit of one of the Jathedars to Delhi to participate in the celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev's Prakash Utsav earlier in the week.

The accusations against Badal include the failure to take action against those responsible for the 2015 cases of sacrilege and pardoning the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The incidents had happened when Prakash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister and like all other ministers in his government, Sukhbir could have also taken the easy way out by stating that since he was merely a part of the Cabinet, he could not be held responsible singularly. However, he decided to defend his father posthumously and accepted the blame.

Knives were already out for him and his detractors in the Akali Dal, wanted his head.

After waiting for the decision of the Akal Takht, Sukhbir, whose party has not participated in the ongoing Assembly by-elections, resigned from his position on Saturday by sending his letter to the Working Committee.