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Punjab: SAD chief Sukhbir appears before Akal Takht, submits explanation
Meeting lasted 20 minutes; Sukhbir’s explanation on allegations levelled by rebel Shiromani Akali Dal leader will be discussed at meeting of Sikh clergy.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal appeared before the Akal Takht on Wednesday and submitted a written explanation to jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, who had summoned him to respond to recent allegations of rebel SAD leaders.
Accompanied by senior party leader Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema and Harcharan Bains, the SAD chief turned up at the Golden Temple complex at 1.20pm without any prior intimation to the media. First he went to the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple to pay obeisance and offer degh (karah parshad), before paying obeisance at the highest Sikh temporal seat.
He met the jathedar at the Takht secretariat in the presence of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami. The meeting lasted 20 minutes during which Sukhbir submitted his written explanation as directed by the Panj Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) on July 15.
“The explanation letter will be discussed at the meeting of the Sikh clergy, which will be held in the coming days at the Takht,” a spokesperson of the Takht said.
Sukhbir was summoned as an apology letter was handed over to jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on July 1 by the rebel leaders, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, former ministers Surjit Singh Rakhra and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, besides party leaders Charanjit Singh Brar, Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Bhai Manjit Singh and Gurpartap Singh Wadala.
The mistakes listed are: Revocation of the case registered against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim for the blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh in 2007; failing to punish perpetrators of the Bargari sacrilege and police officials for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents; allowing the appointment of controversial IPS officer Sumedh Singh Saini as the Punjab DGP besides giving Farzana Alam, the wife of controversial police officer Izhar Alam, the party ticket in the 2012 assembly elections and appointing her chief parliamentary secretary; and lastly, failing to deliver justice to the victims in fake encounter cases.
The SAD rebels held Sukhbir, who was the deputy chief minister at that time, responsible.
Considering the rebels’ letter, the Sikh clergy summoned the SAD president. In a resolution passed during the meeting, the Sikh clergy said, “According to the complaint received by the Takht from some senior leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the SAD president did not represent Panthic sentiments. So, he has been asked to appear before the Akal Takht Sahib in person with a written clarification on the allegations.”
Now, all eyes are on the Takht jathedar. Since the appointing authority of the jathedar, the SGPC, is controlled by the SAD, Sikh organisations are urging the jathedar not to take any decision under pressure.
