NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the proceedings before a trial court against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and others in a case pertaining to allegations that his party submitted a false undertaking to seek recognition from the Election Commission of India.
A bench had issued notice to the complainant on the petitions challenging the dismissal of quashing petitions against the criminal case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2021 had dismissed the plea filed by Badal and others against an order of additional chief judicial magistrate Hoshiarpur who had summoned them in the case.
Social activist Balwant Singh Khera had filed a complaint against Badal, Prakash Singh Badal and Daljit Singh Cheema in 2009, alleging that the SAD has two constitutions, one that it submitted to the Gurdwara Election Commission and the other to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to seek recognition as a political party.
He had alleged that the SAD had given false undertaking to the ECI that it had amended its constitution to incorporate principles of socialism and secularism, whereas it continued its activities as a ‘Panthic’ party and participated in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections.