Akali offshoot seeks registration before Punjab polls: ECI flags ‘national security’ concerns

Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, led by detained MP Amritpal Singh, moved the Delhi High Court after its application for registration filed in January 2025 remained undecided.

Akali Dal Waris Punjab DeThe submission by ECI counsel Sanjay Vashisht was made before Justice Saurabh Banerjee in response to a plea by the party, led by detained Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh. (PTI file photo)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that there are “certain apprehensions pertaining to national security” with registering Akali Dal Waris Punjab De as a political outfit.

The submission by ECI counsel Sanjay Vashisht was made before Justice Saurabh Banerjee in response to a plea by the party, led by detained Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh. The plea seeks a decision from the ECI on its request to approve its proposed name and register it as an unrecognised political party.

The outfit had filed its application in January 2025 but no decision was taken. The outfit moved the High Court in June 2026.

With the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for March 2027 and the Election Commission’s procedures expected to begin in January, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the outfit, asked the court to direct the ECI to decide its application by the end of November.

“I’ll have to seek an (election) symbol by December (if approved),” she said.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee, however, refused to immediately pass any directions without hearing the ECI.

He orally remarked, “There are more than one (outfit seeking registration) in the fray, they (ECI) can’t pick and choose one… if it is an out-of-turn allotment, it will be harakiri. Let me hear them, what is the time limit by which it would be feasible for them (ECI) to decide… I would also not be looking to go into the merits. What I’m looking for is a timeline for a decision.”

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The ECI’s counsel, however, added, “This is a matter where there are certain apprehensions pertaining to national security.”

Justice Banerjee said the court shall pass orders if the ECI is unable to set a timeline by when the application for the outfit will be decided. The ECI shall have to report to the court by October 1.

Singh was arrested in April 2023 after a high-profile manhunt triggered by his supporters’ armed clash with police in Ajnala. He was detained preventively under the National Security Act and is lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, away from Punjab, for security reasons.

Last week, one of Punjab’s most recognisable enforcement officers, Niranjan Singh, former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jalandhar, had joined the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De).

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The move had raised eyebrows and, within four days, Singh declared that he had “disassociated”  himself from the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De, citing “non-negotiable differences”.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

 

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