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Punjab: SGPC rejects Giani Harpreet’s resignation, SAD apologises for Valtoha’s remarks
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami says Sikh ‘community in crisis’; Balwinder Singh Bhundar-led SAD delegation meets Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Harpreet Singh.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday turned down the resignation of Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.
Giani Harpreet Singh on Wednesday tendered his resignation citing slander and security threats, a day after the Sikh clergy, which included him, directed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar to expel its leader Virsa Singh Valtoha for 10 years for resorting to character assassination of the Sikh clergy. Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh also threatened to quit if Giani Harpreet’s resignation was accepted.
Declining the resignation, Dhami said, “The SGPC has followed the edicts and guidelines of the Panj Singh Sahiban (jathedars of Takhts) who lead the community. They have been given due respect and that will remain intact”.
Describing the developments as a ‘community crisis’, Dhami said, “The services of Giani Harpreet Singh as jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib and acting jathedar of Akal Takht have been commendable. We give him due respect. So, I decline his resignation. I have conveyed this to him over the phone.”
The SGPC called for unity and said that ‘anti-Panthic’ forces are constantly targeting Sikh institutions.
“Already RSS, BJP and anti-panthic forces are moving forward with the intention of breaking the Sikh institutions, the example of which is the formation of separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and direct interference of the government in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGMC), Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded, and Takht Patna Sahib,” he said.
While announcing his decision to quit on Wednesday, Giani Harpreet Singh said, “Valtoha was carrying out the character assassination of Panj Singh Sahiban regularly. There have been threats against my family, including my daughters. This is beyond tolerance.”
SAD working president meets Takht jathedar, Giani Harpreet
SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar-led delegation, which included senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema, met Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on Thursday. Later, while speaking to mediapersons, Cheema said that the party had apologised for Valtoha’s remarks.
Later, Bhundar met Giani Harpreet Singh at Talwandi Sabo and offered an unconditional apology. After meeting the jathedar at his residence on the campus of the historic gurdwara, Bhundar told reporters that following instructions of the Akal Takht, Valtoha was expelled from the party for 10 years.
“Public utterances by Valtoha against the religious leaders are unacceptable and distasteful. The party unequivocally condemns such expressions. I expressed sincere apology as a sewadar of the party,” Bhundar said adding, “I am unaware of the social media use. If any party member is found using technology to malign the image of the jathedar strict punishment would be awarded.”
Earlier in the day, rebel Akali leaders, including Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Prem Singh Chandumajra and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, also meet Giani Harpreet.
Meanwhile, two Congress MPs—Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Gurdaspur) and Gurjeet Singh Aujla (Amritsar) demanded legal action against Valtoha. While Aujla wrote a letter to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Randhawa sent the letter to DGP Gaurav Yadav.
The ongoing crisis began after a group SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal declared Sukhbir tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for mistakes committed by the party and its government from 2007-17. However, the pronouncement of tankhah (religious punishment) to him by the Sikh clergy is pending.
CM Mann slams Akali Dal
Slamming the Akali leaders for trying to ‘demean’ the position of the Akal Takht jathedar, chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday said that the state government will take ‘severest of severe action’ against those accused of this sin, in case of any complaint.
In a message, Mann said that for centuries, Akal Takht Jathedar had been a supreme temporal authority of Sikhs. “In the last few hours, the entire humanity has seen the shameful face of Akali leaders who are trying to demean the authority of Jathedar sahib for their vested interests.”
With inputs from HTC, Bathinda, Chandigarh
