Act against ‘defiant’ SAD leaders, SGPC members urge Akal Takht

A group of SGPC members today approached the Akal Takht, demanding action against the leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for not complying with the edict pronounced on December 2 by the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

SGPC executive committee members Jaswant Singh Purain and Paramjit Singh Raipur, members Kiranjot Kaur, Hardev Singh Rogla and Rampal Singh Behniwal, and former member Harbans Singh Manjpur have lodged their dissent and demanded immediate intervention of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.

In a representation submitted at the Akal Takht Secretariat, they expressed resentment over SAD membership drive by ignoring Akal Takht-constituted committee, demand for reviewing the decision of withdrawing ‘Fakhr-e-Qaum’ title given to late Parkash Singh Badal, and Sukhbir Badal’s ‘casual’ approach towards the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment).

The SGPC members said it was a violation of ‘maryada’ (Sikh tenets).

Referring to Sukhbir, SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur said, “Nothing could be more reprehensible than violating the Akal Takht ‘hukumnamas’ and challenging its supremacy. First you accept the ‘mistakes’ before the Akal Takht and undergo ‘tankhah’, and later deny publically that ‘all allegations were accepted to resolve the crisis’. Why such duality?” She added, “Sukhbir should clarify his position if he acknowledges the sanctity of Akal Takht ‘maryada’ or not.”

Jaswant Singh said under the garb of ‘frivolous’ legal hurdles, the SAD violated the Akal Takht’s directions. “Even as the Jathedar had specified that the Akal Takht-ordered committee headed by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami was solely authorised to conduct and oversee the membership drive, the SAD leadership ‘dared’ to hold a ‘parallel’ programme, a violation of the Akal Takht order,” he said.

He said on December 2, the five high priests at the Akal Takht had stripped ‘Badal Sr’ of ‘Fakhr-e-Qaum’ title holding the SAD leadership under him guilty of committing ‘sins’ during party’s tenure between 2007 and 2017.

“Contrary to this, the SAD leadership made its supporters raise their hands during ‘Maghi mela’ at Muktsar Sahib to demand a review of the decision. It was a violation of Sikh ‘maryada’, challenging the Akal Takht verdict. This way, anyone could gather an assembly of people and pass resolutions against the Akal Takht orders,” he said.