SGPC appeals to Dhami to reconsider resignation, forms panel to persuade him

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has not yet accepted the resignation submitted by Harjinder Singh Dhami and has appealed to him to reconsider his decision.

The SGPC convened a meeting of its executive body today to discuss Dhami's resignation but did not reach a decision.

SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan said that a five-member delegation of executive members would approach Dhami shortly to urge him to withdraw his resignation and return to his duties.

"Dhami is a good administrator with a clean image. His contribution to the Sikh organization could not be ignored. So, a resolution was passed in today's meeting urging Dhami to review his decision," he said.

He added that "a meeting would be called up soon to make a stopgap arrangement for taking administrative decisions in Dhami's absence."

SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk, who presided over the meeting, said that the grounds for Dhami's resignation were widely discussed and it was unanimously decided to keep the decision pending at the moment.

On February 17, four-time SGPC president Dhami offered to step down days after Giani Harpreet Singh was removed as Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib on "moral grounds" following a statement on social media by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.

This statement criticised the procedure used to remove Giani Harpreet Singh. Dhami also announced his resignation from the seven-member committee appointed by the Akal Takht Jathedar to oversee the membership drive of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Giani Harpreet Singh was dismissed by the SGPC's executive body on February 10 after a three-member inquiry panel indicted him for moral misconduct in its report. Virk, one of the panel members, revealed the inquiry report against Giani Harpreet Singh.

"There were serious allegations against him. After thorough inquiry, we could gather ample evidence that held him guilty. On the basis of the report, the majority of the SGPC executive members decided to remove him as Takht Jathedar," he claimed.

Citing the Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925, Virk said that the SGPC has the authority and prerogative to appoint or remove the Takht Jathedars.

"We are also going to ask Giani Raghbir Singh to submit a clarification on sacking Giani Harpreet Singh as it pertains to an administrative issue for which the SGPC has reserved all rights to take a decision," he said.