Overview

• SGPC has asked acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj to decide on an Akal Takht-appointed panel’s request to hold a delegate session on August 11 at Teja Singh Samundri Hall to elect a parallel Shiromani Akali Dal president.
• The five-member panel, formed under a December 2, 2024 decree, has conducted parallel membership drives to rival Sukhbir Singh Badal’s faction and is poised to choose new SAD leadership.
• In a separate ruling, the Akal Takht declared Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains ‘tankhaiya’ for authorizing dance and music at a July 24 Srinagar event, citing violation of Sikh maryada.
• Bains must inspect and repair approach roads to key gurdwaras, perform voluntary service at Anandpur Sahib and other sites, offer Karah Prasad worth ₹1,100 and conclude with an Ardas as penance.
• These parallel moves demonstrate the Akal Takht’s growing role in regulating both political processes within Sikh institutions and the conduct of government officials in religious observances.