The Election Commission (EC) has red-flagged the registration of the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, citing “grave and highly sensitive inputs” that could jeopardise national sovereignty and integrity.
The EC said the matter is under its review, but it had received a “sensitive” input in July stating that the outfit was rooted in separatism and had been founded by individuals detained under the National Security Act.
“It poses grave concerns regarding allegiance to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India,” the EC said.
The EC told the Delhi High Court that while the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had submitted a positive verification report on Waris Punjab De on April 27 this year, the inputs about the organisation’s alleged separatist roots came later, on July 9.
The Punjab CEO was then asked to conduct a “comprehensive background inquiry” and submit a report.
The report is yet to come, the EC said in two separate affidavits filed before Justice Saurabh Banerjee, who listed the matter for January 11, 2027.
Waris Punjab De had earlier approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the EC to decide its application for registration, filed on January 22, 2025, in a time-bound manner.
The EC’s affidavits were filed on Tuesday.
Late Deep Sidhu founded Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), which is seeking registration under the same name. It is now headed by Amritpal Singh, the jailed MP from Khadoor Sahib.
Singh’s detention under the National Security Act ended in April 2026, but he continues to remain lodged in an Assam jail after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered his continued incarceration in pending criminal cases, mainly the 2023 attack on the Ajnala police station.
