Panthic leaders reject Longowal’s re-election

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, November 13

Panthic and Sikh radical leaders, sitting on a dharna at Bargari since June 1, on Tuesday raised slogans against the re-election of Gobind Singh Longowal as president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Led by Dhian Singh Mand and Baljit Singh Daduwa, in a resolution, the Panthic leaders said the re-election of Longowal was a complete farce, performed by the Badal family, which was using the SGPC as its personal property.

It was highly ridiculous that Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was awarded a five-year jail by a special CBI court for “abduction, illegal confinement and forcible abortion of her daughter” had proposed the name of the SGPC chief. And Longowal, who was held “tankhaiya” by Akal Takht for violating its hukamnama (religious edict) for approaching the Sirsa dera to seek votes before the 2017 Assembly elections, was appointed SGPC chief, they said.

As per the SAD, the only qualification for a candidate to get the SPGC chief’s post was loyalty to the Badal family, nothing else, said Daduwal.

Badals denigrating Sikh institutions: AAP 

Chandigarh: Commenting on the election process of the SGPC chief, the Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday accused the Badal family of promoting ‘lifafa culture’ and dishonouring the glorious institutions of Sikhism. The AAP demanded that Badals must apologise to the Punjabis for their “misdeeds”. AAP’s chief spokesperson MLA Baljinder Kaur said: “The Badal family has defeated the purpose of the SGPC to look after gurdwaras and promote Sikhism.” TNS