Elections 2025
CHANDIGARH: Political uproar erupted in the state after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday raided the residence of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and prominent realtor Ranjit Singh Gill. The move came just hours after Gill joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late Thursday night. He was inducted into the saffron party by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. A separate search was also conducted at Gills office in Kharar. There was a heavy police presence outside Gills Gillco V
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Saturday raided the residence and office of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and prominent realtor Ranjit Singh Gill. The sudden raid comes after Gill was inducted into the saffron party by the Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday. There was heavy police presence outside Gill's office in Kharar. The state vigilance team was inspecting his residence in Sector 2 of Chandigarh. Gill was not available for comment, but his close associat
Mr. Gill had recently resigned from the primary membership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He was once considered a close confidant of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal
Expressing grave concern over the growing incidents of disrespect and discrimination against the sacred symbols of the Sikh faith, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene directly ...
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has nominated Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa for the upcoming Tarn Taran assembly bypoll. This follows the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal. Randhawa joined SAD with several leaders. Badal has appointed Gulzar Singh Ranike as the in-charge for the bypoll campaign. He accused Arvind Kejriwal of planning a land deal.
AMRITSAR: A software engineer was rounded up from Faridabad in connection with the five e-mails sent to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) threatening to blow up the Golden Temple, officials said on Friday. Police said that Shubam Dubey (24) has been rounded up and is being questioned regarding the first threatening e-mail sent to the SGPC on July 14. Additionally, Dubey's laptop and phone have also been seized, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said in a press
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab assembly on Tuesday unanimously decided to refer the anti-sacrilege bill 'Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025' to a Select Committee of MLAs for consultation with all stakeholders before it is enacted. On the concluding day of the special session of the assembly, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said after a three-and-a-half-hour debate that the panel will gather public input on the Bill and will submit its report on the bill within six months. Th
CHANDIGARH: The Takht Patna Sahib (one of the five supreme temporal seats of Sikhs) has withdrawn all previous edicts that had declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the jathedars (high priests) of Akal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib guilty of religious misconduct. A letter sent by Takht Patna Sahib withdrawing all previous edicts was accepted, and subsequently, the Akal Takht also withdrew edicts declaring three members of the Takht Patna Sahib 'tankhaiya'. Sources said t
CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Police on Thursday registered a case against unidentified members of the Aam Aadmi Party based on a complaint by senior Congress leader and Punjab Leader of Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, over the circulation of a doctored video. The edited clip allegedly distorted Bajwas remarks criticising the Punjab Vigilance Bureaus alleged misconduct during a search at the residence of Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Ganieve Majithia, following the arrest of her husband and senior Akali lead
CHANDIGARH: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was today sent to 14 days judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case by a court in Mohali. Amid tight security arrangements, Majithia was produced before the court. The police also detained several prominent SAD leaders and workers in different parts of the state in the morning to prevent them from coming towards Mohali. Speaking to the media after the co
Takht Sri Patna Sahib declared Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal 'tankhaiya' for disregarding its directives and not appearing before it. This action stems from a conflict between Takhts, initiated by Akal Takht's earlier decision regarding Takht Sri Patna Sahib's Jathedar. SGPC president expressed concern, emphasizing Akal Takht's supremacy in 'panthic' matters and urging dialogue to resolve the dispute.
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been declared ankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) by the Takht Patna Sahib (one of the five supreme temporal seats of sikhs) due to his failure to appear before it and thereby undermining its authority. Sources said the decision is an outcome of Sukhbir's failure to appear before the Takht despite being summoned twice. It is understood that this development would further escalate clashes between Sikh religious authori
Former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared ankhaya by Takht Sri Harmandir ji Patna Sahab priests for not appearing before the high priest despite reminders.
CHANDIGARH: A Mohali court on Tuesday extended by four days the vigilance custody of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Majithia was earlier arrested in a disproportionate assets (DA) case. Meanwhile, Badal and several party workers were taken into preventive custody by Punjab Police to stop them from marching to the district court complex to express solidarity with Majithia. Majithia was produced before the court amid t
In the meeting of the partys core committee held in Chandigarh, which was presided over by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, it was announced that the party would start a peoples campaign against the corruption and scams prevailing in the government.
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday challenged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to prove that Saraya Industries Limited, in which his brother-in-law and senior party leader Bikram Singh Majithia had an inherited share of eleven percent, had received even one rupee in foreign funding from 2007 to the present time. Badal was denying allegations made in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case registered against Majithia by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau . B
CHANDIGARH: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday for allegedly laundering more than Rs 540 crore of drug money, was on Thursday sent to a seven-day vigilance remand by a court in Mohali. The court order came two-and-a-half hours after Majithia was brought into the court complex. Speaking to the media, Ferry Sofat, the advocate representing the Vigilance Bure
CHANDIGARH: The arrest of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has triggered a fresh wave of political mudslinging in the state. Majithia, who is also the brother-in-law of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, was taken into custody on Tuesday, prompting strong reactions from opposition parties who termed it political vendetta, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back, accusing critics of shielding those responsible for Punjabs drug cr
CHANDIGARH: Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was on Tuesday arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau following a raid on his residence in Amritsar. Sources said the vigilance bureau carried out raids at 25 locations across the state. The vigilance team, led by Assistant Inspector General of Police Swarandeep Singh, raided Majithias house and seized 29 mobile phones, four laptops, two iPads, eight diari
Chandigarh, Jun 25: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday conducted raids at 25 locations in the state, including the residence of senior Akali leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar, sources said. Majithia is facing probe in a 2021 drugs case. However, it is still unclear in which connection the raid was conducted at the residence of Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia, who []
CHANDIGARH: The infighting and factionalism within the Congress appear to have cost the partys candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu dearly in the Ludhiana (West) assembly bypoll. Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa were noticeably absent from the campaign. Despite Ashus aggressive campaign efforts, he only managed to get 24,542 votes in this bypoll -- a 27.22 per cent vote share, which is less than the 28.06 per cent vote sh
CHANDIGARH: The Ludhiana (West) by-election on Thursday will be a litmus test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's national leadership and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as they have aggressively campaigned to retain the seat, while the Congress looks to regain its foothold over the urban constituency which it held six times in the past. While the main contest is likely to be between the AAP and Congress, the bypoll outcome will also shed light on how the BJP performs among urban voters in the
CHANDIGARH: Former Chief Minister of Gujarat and Punjab Affairs-in-charge of BJP Vijay Rupani, who was among the 241 passengers killed in the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon, has been involved in Punjab politics for the last three years. In fact, he re-scheduled his visit to London from June 5 to June 12 due to the Ludhiana (West) by-elections. The constituency goes to polling on June 19, and the result will be announced on June 23. Rupani was specifically brought by th
CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Governments ambitious plan to acquire over 24,000 acres of land in Ludhiana for urban development meets strong opposition from Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, despite Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns assurances of voluntary participation and fair compensation. The most ambitious land acquisition initiative of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab Government to acquire 24,311 acres across more than 30 villages in Ludhiana for the development of urban estat
At 25, Shubman Gill has scripted history by becoming the first India Test captain from Punjab since Bishan Singh Bedi (1976-78). Gill, who is used to seeing fans go gaga over him in the stadium, has now become the cynosure of all eyes in the states political circles. From Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring to SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, leaders cutting across party lines hailed him as the next big leader in the sport. Heartiest congratulations to all Punjabis on our Punjab
CHANDIGARH: Veteran Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa passed away on Wednesday evening at 89 after a prolonged illness, marking the end of an era in Punjab's political landscape. He had parted ways with the SAD led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and was with the party's rebel faction. Dhindsa died at Fortis Hospital in Mohali. He was suffering from severe pneumonia and cardiac complications. He is survived by his wife, son Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who was f
CHANDIGARH: In a fresh controversy, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday decided to put on hold its decision to display a portrait of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the Central Sikh Museum at the Golden Temple complex. This comes after Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is currently in a Patiala jail after being convicted for the assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, objected to the move in a letter. SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said that in the rece
CHANDIGARH: A religious dispute has escalated between the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, and Takht Patna Sahib, after the Panj Pyare (five beloved ones) of Takht Patna Sahib defied a decree issued by the Akal Takht. They declared its acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and Takht Damdama Sahib head Tek Singh Dhanaula as tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for actions allegedly hurting the sanctity and dignity of Takht Patna Sahib. In response, the Akal Takht Secreta
Shiromani Akali Dal supremo Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his strong and clear-headed approach in dealing with the enemies of peace across the border.
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on a gurdwara in Poonch by Pakistan forces during cross-border shelling that led to the death of three Sikhs. At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and 57 others injured as the Pakistan Army carried out heavy artillery and mortar shelling on forward villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The intense shelling from across the border started shortly after Indian
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has called an all-party meeting on Friday and convened a special assembly session on Monday to discuss the issue of Haryana being allocated additional water from the Bhakra Dam by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). An emergency meeting of all ministers and MLAs was held this evening, headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, to discuss the emerging situation following the BBMBs order to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryan
Sukhbir Singh Badal has been re-elected president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister heads the century-old party when it faces its worst crisis yet and strives to regain its footing in state politics. Badal talks to Harpreet Bajwa about his challenges and what went wrong with his partys relations with the BJP. Excerpts: Former Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal is back in the saddle. Has he weathered all storms? Were the last few months tough-going? SAD and its
CHANDIGARH: The opposition parties in Punjab including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)- led government of unleashing ax terrorism on the trading community. The opposition alleged that the government had directed all excise and taxation officers (ETO) of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) wing to carry out at least four raids every month. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed that the AAP government led
CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said no gangster or drug smuggler would remain in Punjab once SAD is back in power in 2027. He also assured government jobs for Panjabis. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Baisakhi at Talwandi Sabo, Sukhbir said, I am committed to making Punjab the number one state in the country. I am also committed to augmenting the social welfare schemes and giving relief to the weaker sections. Sukhbir spoke about safeguarding the in
CHANDIGARH: Congress General Secretary and the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Punjab in-charge, and Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Bhupesh Bhagel, firmly said that 'indiscipline' in the party will not be 'tolerated' at any cost. He also said that the party had already started working on strengthening the organisation across the State. Bhagel said that no matter how big a leader may be, he cannot be 'bigger' than the party. He made it categorically clear that action would be taken again
Sukhbir Singh Badal was elected president of the Shiromani Akali Dal again in the party's general delegate session that took place in Amritsar on Saturday.
Amritsar, Apr 12: Sukhbir Singh Badal was elected president of the Shiromani Akali Dal again in the partys general delegate session that took place in Amritsar on Saturday. Badals name was proposed by partys working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar while party leader Paramjit Singh Sarna seconded it. The session for electing SADs new president was held at the Teja Singh Samundari hall in the Sri Darbar Sahib complex here. Several senior party leaders including Badals wife and Bathinda MP Harsim
Sukhbir Singh Badal has been re-elected as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The party announced this on social media, expressing hopes that he will protect the rights of the Panth and Punjab. Badal, son of the late Parkash Singh Badal, previously served as Deputy Chief Minister and is seen as a key strategist within the party.
Sukhbir Singh Badal has been re-elected as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), marking another term for the party's current working president, Balwinder Singh Bhunder.
CHANDIGARH: A last took place outside the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Punjab's Jalandhar district, causing panic in the area. Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh said forensic teams have reached the spot to collect samples. A loud sound was heard at around 1 am outside Kalia's residence near Shastri Market in Jalandhar, police said, adding that no one was hurt in the incident. No one was hurt in the incident, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh, adding, Th
Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema criticizes SAD leaders for causing a ruckus over Bikram Singh Majithia's scaled-down security. While the Punjab Police assured that adequate security remains, SAD members, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, condemned the move, calling it dangerous and targeted by the AAP government.