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Majitha Rally: SGPC chief working on diktats of Badals, says Punjab CM Mann
CM Bhagwant Mann criticizes SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, linking missing sacred scriptures to Akali misdeeds, while announcing a candidate for 2027 elections.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday slammed SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, alleging that he takes pride in calling himself a ‘soldier of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who ‘ruined’ the state.
Addressing a gathering in the bastion of SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Mann spoke on missing ‘saroops’ (sacred scriptures) of the Guru Granth Sahib and alleged that it was due to the ‘misdeeds’ of the Akalis and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that the state government was compelled to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the missing 328 ‘saroops’.
“Our only objective is to trace the missing saroops. We have no intention of interfering in religious institutions,” he said, adding, “It would have given him heartfelt happiness if Dhami considered himself as a soldier of Guru Gobind Singh ji, but he instead calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal.”
“It is unfortunate that instead of focusing on his primary responsibilities, the SGPC president was busy making arrangements for political rallies. Instead of calling himself a soldier of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, he proudly calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal. What good can be expected from such a person, who takes pride in serving someone who ruined Punjab with his every move,” he said.
‘Akali rule set Punjab back’
Mann also announced that SAD turncoat Talbir Singh Gill, who was an aide of Majithia, as the AAP candidate for the 2027 assembly elections from the Majitha segment, besides laying the foundation stone for 23 rural link roads worth ₹11.32crore. Former minister Majithia is currently in Nabha Jail in a case related to disproportionate assets. At present, Majithia’s wife, Ganieve Kaur, is an MLA from the Majitha assembly segment.
Mann said he bowed and accepted the supremacy of Akal Takht and skipped the function of the President.
“Sri Akal Takht Sahib is above all of us. That is why I did not attend the function of the President of India and chose instead to appear before the Takht,” he said, adding, “Unlike his government, the Akalis have repeatedly undermined the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
On January 15, Mann appeared before the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar after being summoned by the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs for his alleged remarks about Sikh traditions and tenets and submitted his clarification.
“Jathedars have been appointed and removed at whims, dealing a severe blow to the sanctity of these institutions,” he said, while also remarking that “Congress leaders have lost their political balance after facing continuous defeats”.
Declaring Gill as a candidate for the 2027 polls, Mann said the people will not allow any attempt to push Punjab back into beadbi (sacrilege) and goondagardi (goonism), and that development, dignity and respect for Akal Takht will remain paramount.
Taking a jibe at the Majithia family, Mann said, “Earlier, this area lived under constant fear. A self-proclaimed ‘jarnail’ of the region used false cases as a weapon against ordinary people. With deep connections in both Congress and the Akali governments, he unleashed a reign of terror, and people were afraid to speak. That fear has now completely vanished, as the will of the people is prevailing and such politics has been decisively rejected.”
Mann said that bringing the Akali Dal back to power would mean dragging Punjab back into a dark era.
CM undermining Sikh body: SGPC
Reacting to CM’s remarks, the SGPC spokesperson Gurpreet Singh Jhabhar said, “Dhami is a devout Sikh and serving as president of the SGPC with utmost sincerity and dedication. The CM making derogatory remarks against him is very condemnable. The CM is undermining the Sikh body on the behest of Arvind Kejriwal and Union home minister Amit Shah, whom he met yesterday.”
Pandher and other farm leaders detained
Ahead of the rally, several farm leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) and other organisations under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), were detained by cops.
The KMM had announced to approach CM Mann to question him over the government’s failure to deliver promises made by farmers.
A group of farmers succeeded in reaching close to the rally venue, breaking through the barricades, and the cops had to use mild force and detained several activists. Later, farmers sat at the chowk in Majitha to protest police action. The sit-in was still going on at the time of this report.
