The parallel jathedars and radical Sikh organisations got lukewarm response — an attendance of hardly 250 people — as they held a protest on the second anniversary of the sacrilege incident at Bargari and the subsequent police at firing at Behbal Kalan, in Kotkapura on Saturday. Despite this, the parallel jathedars emphasised that they would contest the next Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections “under the banner of Sarbat Khalsa Jathedars”.
Baljit Singh Daduwal, one of the “jathedars” appointed at a Sarbat Khalsa (seminal congregation of Sikhs) held by the radicals in 2015, noted, “Every Sikh has right to take part in the Shiromani committee elections, so we will contest the next polls.” It is not yet clear when the next SGPC elections are to be held.
The current SGPC general house was elected for a five-year term in 2011 but was suspended by the Supreme Court after Sehajdharis (gradual practitioners) filed a case against denial of voting rights. It got effective last year after a law was passed to take away the voting rights finally.
About the sacrilege and firing, Daduwal said, “In two years, the state and central agencies have failed to crack the cases. A 21-member delegation of Sikh organisations will meet chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on October 27 to discuss the matter.”
He said that the earlier SAD-BJP government set up the Zora Singh Commission which “failed to find the culprits”. The state government also failed to identify the cops who opened fire at protesters at Behbal Kalan, he added.
{{/usCountry}}He said that the earlier SAD-BJP government set up the Zora Singh Commission which “failed to find the culprits”. The state government also failed to identify the cops who opened fire at protesters at Behbal Kalan, he added.
{{/usCountry}}The parallel jathedars said they had recorded statements before the Ranjit Singh Commission appointed now by the Congress regime. They said (Akal Takht jathedar) Giani Gurbachan Singh and SGPC chief Kirpal Singh must also record their statements “so that the case is solved”.
Dhian Singh Mand, the parallel jathedar for the Akal Takht, said, “SGPC has been treating Golden Temple premises as their personal property.”