Daduwal gets control of Bathinda gurdwara

Sikh religious leader Baljit Singh Daduwal has been handed over the possession of Gurdwara Jandalisar Sahib in Kotshamir town near here over seven months after he was ousted from the gurdwara.

Sikh religious leader Baljit Singh Daduwal has been handed over the possession of Gurdwara Jandalisar Sahib in Kotshamir town near here over seven months after he was ousted from the gurdwara.

Local Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Amrik Singh Kotshamir, who was controlling the gurdwara after Daduwal’s arrest in August last year, handed over the keys to the three men, who had donated land for the gurdwara, and Daduwal will take possession of the same after Baisakhi celebrations. The three Ughar Singh, Mahinder Singh and Jinder Singh are Daduwal’s supporters.

The development has come after Daduwal warmed up to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by supporting the appointment of acting jathedar of Takht Shri Damdama Sahib Gurmukh Singh by taking a stand against the ousted jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh in a controversy over the SGPC decision to revert to the Bikrami calendar in place of the Nanakshahi calendar. Daduwal, reportedly, was also in contact with SAD leaders during assembly polls in Delhi. Before been ousted from gurdwara, Daduwal had been managing it for past over 10 years.

Daduwal said that the control of the gurdwara was handed over to him on orders of deputy commissioner (DC), Bathinda, but deputy commissioner Basant Garg said that the administration had nothing to do with the management of the gurdwara and possession was not handed over to Daduwal on his orders, which makes it clear that the possession has been handed over after a green signal from the SAD high command.

However, the development has come as a shocker for SGPC member Amrik Singh Kotshamir, who was controlling the gurdwara after Daduwal’s arrest in August last year.