Radical Sikh leaders taken in custody

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 11

Amidst reports that the three persons nominated jathedars of Sikh takhts at the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ here on Tuesday were planning to address the community from Akal Takht, its chief organisers were taken into preventive custody by the Amritsar police on Wednesday.

While SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann and United Akali Dal president Mohkam Singh were picked up by the police around 4 am and detained at Chheharta police station, Amrik Singh Ajnala, named ‘officiating jathedar’ of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, and Dhyan Singh Mand, ‘jathedar’ of Akal Takht, were put under house arrest. 

It has been learnt that since Mann was not keeping well, he was shifted to emergency ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. However, his condition was stated to be stable, according to SAD (Amritsar) general secretary Jarnail Singh Sakhira. 

Police Commissioner JS Aulakh said the leaders had been taken in preventive custody, keeping in view the law and order situation.

Jagtar Singh Hawara has been nominated ‘officiating jathedar of Akal Takht’. However, as he in serving a prison sentence for the assassination of chief minister Beant Singh, it was declared that former MP Dhyan Singh Mand would officiate for Hawara and address the Sikh community today. He was supposed to deliver a customary address from the Golden Temple ‘Deori’ (podium) on Bandi Chhor Divas (day of Divali). 

They were to proceed towards Golden Temple around 6.30 pm.   

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in and around the Golden Temple. The SGPC’s task force and policemen are maintaining a vigil on all activity around the shrine.

Several Sikh outfits and hardline groups had on Tuesday convened what they called a ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ here and appointed Jagtar Singh Hawara, convict in the Beant Singh assassination case, as Jathedar of Akal Takht.

The congregation also “removed” jathedars of two other takhts—Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, mini-parliament of Sikh religion, is supposed to appoint the jathedars (Sikh high priests).

The hardliners and some other Sikh groups have been alleging that the ruling Badal family of Punjab controls the SGPC.

The congregation accused the incumbent Sikh head priests, appointed by the SGPC, of not keeping up the dignity and traditions of Sikh institutions.

The ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ was organised at Chabba village, about 10 km from the holy city, to “free” Sikh institutions from political influence.

The gathering was organised to discuss the ouster of Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh and other Sikh high priests involved in “pardoning” of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for his alleged act of ‘blasphemy’ in 2007.

The SGPC and Akal Takht have refused to recognise the congregation as ‘Sarbat Khalsa’.