Chandigarh, June 19 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working committee on Friday condemned Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for challenging the authority of the Akal Takht in public forums while asserting this was hurting the religious feelings of the people.

The working committee, chaired by party President Sukhbir Badal, noted that the Chief Minister was deliberately creating fissures in the Sikh community. It said there was an overwhelming feeling in the community that Mann had not only committed a heinous crime against the Guru Sahiban but was compounding his sins by challenging the Akal Takht, which had pointed out the same with due evidence.

Giving details, party leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the working committee passed a resolution demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister. He said the committee also discussed how the Chief Minister was trying to cover up his sins by presenting self-procured reports from laboratories within 24 hours after the Akal Takht ruled that the blasphemous video of the Chief Minister was real and was not a work of artificial intelligence.

“In such a situation, Bhagwant Mann does not deserve to remain in his chair for even one minute more,” he said. Later, Badal also discussed the issue with Shiromani committee members. The members said the Chief Minister had tried to befool the Sikh sangat by claiming the controversial video depicting him was generated through artificial intelligence.

They said the Akal Takht only got the video verified forensically after the Chief Minister failed to do the same for five months despite reminders from the Takht.

Meanwhile, the working committee reviewed the organisation structure with particular emphasis on the booth-level committees. The SAD President said the entire organisational structure should be complete in another fortnight.

The working committee also took note of the unprovoked cane-charge and suppression of democratic protests by the AAP government, besides the complete breakdown in the law and order situation.

–IANS

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