Dissident Akali leaders to meet Akal Takht chief

Chandigarh: SAD dissidents held a meeting in Rakhra on Wednesday and decided to meet Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh over what they called the "non-implementation" of Akal Takht directions to their party's leadership on Dec 2 last year.Dissident leader Surjit Singh Rakhra said, "Sri Akali Takht issued a hukamnana. We accept it in letter and spirit. They (Akali Dal) did not implement it. They did not agree to the formation of a seven-member committee either. We will go to Akal Takht jathedar again and ask him about this and decide the next course of action after that."Another dissident Akali leader, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, said, "We will go to Singh Sahib (Akal Takht jathedar). We also plan to meet Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, who was appointed to head the seven-member committee for the membership drive of Akali Dal." Wadala, who is one of the members of the seven-member committee, added, "Those members of the interim committee who are willing will go to meet the jathedar. We planned to meet Dhami on the evening of Jan 10. We will see how it works out." SAD has called a meeting of the party's working committee on Jan 10 to decide on the resignation of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and to "announce the schedule" for the party's membership/enrollment drive. Wadala said a gathering of Sant Samaj involving religious personalities was also scheduled in Jalandhar on Jan 10 in connection with Akal Takht directions and to "deliberate on how Panthic principles are being compromised by not following the directions."‘SAD not to contest Delhi Assembly polls'Shiromani Akali Dal's Delhi unit president Paramjit Singh Sarna said on Wednesday that SAD will not contest the Delhi assembly elections. Sarna said since SAD no longer had a tie-up with the BJP and cannot ally with arch-rivals Congress and AAP, the party will not contest elections. Wadala said, "Sarna has given a strange statement. Akali leaders accused the dissidents of being close to the BJP, and now Sarna is saying that Akali Dal will not contest the Delhi election as there was no alliance between the Akali Dal and BJP. This shows they were looking to the BJP."