Akal Takht directive to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann triggers another AAP-SGPC showdown

Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj summoning CM Bhagwant Mann to explain his “utterances against Sikh institutions” is the latest flashpoint between ruling AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal-controlled SGPC, which appoints and removes temporal heads.

The two political parties have been at loggerheads for nearly two months now, ever since the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) turned out to be the main challenger to AAP in the Tarn Taran bypoll.

After the Akal Takht directions to Mann, AAP general secretary Baltej Pannu told The Tribune that the party respected the temporal seat and the Jathedar.

“The CM will appear before the Akal Takht Jathedar as have our other ministers, who were summoned earlier. We are not like the Shiromani Akali Dal that uses the SGPC as a political tool,” he said.

For the past month, ruling AAP has been in direct confrontation with the SGPC. Tensions between the two sides had been rising after an FIR was registered in the 328 missing saroops case.

Though Mann had said that the case was registered on the demand of several Sikh organisations, the SGPC called it an “interference in religious matters” and asked the government to stay out of it.

Mann, not known to take things lying down, held a press conference last week, where he accused the SAD of trying to use the SGPC as a shield against “their misdeeds, including the 328 missing saroops”.

The FIR in the case was registered after political fortunes of SAD were seen rising, post their performance in the Tarn Taran bypoll.

After the arrest of former SGPC auditor SS Kohli in the case, the investigation was seen to veer towards the businesses owned by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

It is in this backdrop that the CM has been asked to appear and explain his utterances against Sikh institutions.

Mann has announced that he will abide by the directions of the Akal Takht and appear before the Takht on January 15.