india

Updated: May 26, 2019 13:27 IST

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal expelled former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK from the party two days after he questioned the party’s leadership for the party’s poor show in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder confirmed the development and said that the Delhi court had directed to investigate the corruption charges against GK under Section 409 (criminal breach by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said, “It’s a very serious issue, so the party decided to expel him.”

Sukhbir Singh Badal acted on the recommendation of the core committee of the Delhi unit of SAD, which passed a resolution seeking GK’s expulsion during its meeting on Friday, citing the recent court judgment against him in a case of alleged financial irregularities to the tune of around Rs 51 lakh.

The party under the leadership of GK won the DSGMC elections in 2017 without using Sukhbir’s pictures during the campaign which did not go well with the high command. A party leader, seeking anonymity, said GK has been criticising Sukhbir since Punjab assembly elections in 2017.

The party leader privy to the development further added that around 35 members of the core committee had signed the resolution around four months ago, which was passed in its meeting on Friday.

Senior DSGMC member Avtar Singh Hit, who is also a member of the SAD core committee in Delhi, said the resolution has been passed unanimously. He said, “The DSGMC has also admitted that financial irregularities were made. We have to face people and that’s why we have taken strong note of it.”

HT had accessed the copy of the resolution wherein core committee members also alleged that GK embezzled ₹60 lakh from a web channel and prepared fake bills worth ₹13.65 lakh in the name of DSGMC.

MOVE TO COVER UP DEFEAT IN PUNJAB: GK

Hitting out at the SAD, GK said the resolution against him is a move to cover up the party’s debacle in Punjab and an attempt to stop him from questioning the party high command over the issue.

In an interview with HT last year, GK had stated that Akalis were facing a crisis of credibility among Sikhs.

He said the party lost badly despite the Modi wave in these elections. “We have lost the Panthic seat of Khadoor Sahib for the first time. The SAD leadership failed to corner the Congress and take political advantage of Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s statement on the 1984 riots.”