AMRITSAR, Aug. 7 -- The Akal Takht-appointed panel, mandated to recast the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), may not get the nod to hold a delegate session to hold party elections on August 11 at Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the headquarters of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). This comes after a meeting of Sikh clergy held under Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. In the decree issued on Wednesday, Giani Gargaj said that no group or committee can claim to be patronised by Akal Takht. "The Akal Takht has received complaints from different Singh Sabhas, Sikh political parties and religious organisations that 'some groups are trying to gain political mileage by claiming to be patronised by Akal Takht Sahib. In the December 2 edict, the Sikh clergy directed all the Akali factions to bury hatchets and unite, but nothing has happened so far. If no group wants to comply with the December 2 decree, then so be it. However, they should not create confusion among the sangat by claiming to be patronised by Akal Takht. Aspiration behind the December 2 edict cannot be fulfilled by keeping factionalism intact," the decree reads. In separate development, people privy to matter said that in a letter to SGPC, the Akal Takht hinted that the 'five-member panel's work holds no legitimacy.' The letter's content has not been made public yet. The sources in the know of things said that the letter says that the panel is not complete as the Takht had appointed a seven-member committee, not five, 'thus it cannot work and holds no legitimacy'. The December 2 decree had appointed a seven-member panel including SGPC president Harjinder SinghDhami, former president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Bibi Satwant Kaur, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Iqbal Singh Jhundan, Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Santa Singh Umaidpur.Dhamiand Badungar hadresigned, after which the five members started a membership drive in March this year. Furthermore, the letter asks SGPC to make arrangements for the venue if any Sikh institution or organisation raises a demand for conducting any gathering, leaving out words like 'committee' or 'panel'. "This implies that the Takht panel is not likely to get a nod for organising the election at Teja Singh Samundri Hall, a historic venue for Sikh gatherings. The SGPC may allot it some other venue," the sources within the gurdwara body said. The fresh edict hasn't gone down well with the different segments of the Sikh political class. A leader of the Akali Dal Sudhar Lehal, and SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur took to Facebook and said, "Debating over hukamnamas is not in accordance with Panthic maryada (tradition). But then again, creating an "Office of Akal Takht" and issuing vague decisions is also not Panthic maryada. Giani Kuldeep Singh Ghargaj should clarify whether he accepts the hukamnama dated 2nd December 2024 or not". Parampal Singh, a leader of the Alliance of Sikh Organisations, said: "Why did the jathedar not remember the unity when Sukhbir Singh Badal was being elected? Why did he present him with a siropa (robe of honour) after his election as president? What happened today is unfair."...