Infighting in Akali Dal: Day before going to Akal Takht, SAD rebels make Jhunda panel report public

They said that the report called for significant changes in the leadership of the SAD. The others important recommendations of the committee included appearing before the Akal Takht to seek forgiveness for mistakes made during their government’s tenure as per the party workers’ wishes. Party should also be distanced from people involved in the sand mafia, cable mafia and other such things.

Besides, the report also sought a ban on district presidents running for elections, suggesting that office bearers of SAD should be of impeccable character. The report recommended banning the Student Organization of India (SOI) by party chief Badal and reinstating the All India Sikh Students Federation. It stressed forming a parliamentary board for ticket distribution, re-establishing the SAD office in Amritsar, and limiting the president’s term to two consecutive terms.

Chandumajra said that the party betrayed its workers by not implementing recommendations of the report, which were aimed at reviving the party’s popularity in the panth and Punjab and preparing new leadership for fighting for people’s causes.

Wadala said that the Jhunda report called for ending single leadership in the party, advocating for collective leadership as in the past. It also recommended that Shiromani Committee members should not contest political elections and advocated for strengthening the federal structure and vigilantly guarding Punjab’s fundamental issues. It also proposed the policy of “one family, one ticket” and called for ending political interference in the Shiromani Committee. Age for contesting elections should not be beyond 75 years.

The leaders mentioned that they had demanded the implementation of the Jhunda Committee report on the party platform, but their requests were ignored by those who wanted to make the report public.