The SGPC’s 15-day ban on the activities of Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, as Jathedar has been termed as an act of revenge by the Panthic organizations and their leaders Dal Khalsa, Nihang Singh organizations, Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, Singh Sahib Giani Kewal Singh, Akali faction of Bibi Jagir Kaur, Jatha Waris Punjab of Bhai Amritpal Singh and Sikh thinkers etc. They said that selectively selecting a 3-member panel of Senior Vice President Raghujit Singh Virk, General Secretary Sher Singh Mandwala and Interim Committee member Daljit Singh Bhinder to investigate the allegations against Giani Harpreet Singh is an insult to the office of the Jathedars. This decision is also wrong that the jurisdiction of Takht Sahib’s Chief Granthi Jagtar Singh should be given to Takht Sahib. It should be remembered that Jathedar Harpreet Singh’s former brother-in-law Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Muktsar Sahib, had complained to the SGPC president and made serious allegations against the Jathedar.
The Panthic organizations argue that for the last three decades, Sikh organizations have been demanding that the SGPC formulate service rules for the post of Takht Jathedars, but the committee has not paid any attention to this demand.
Panthic leaders have appealed to Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib Gian Raghbir Singh to take the investigation into his own hands to sort out the truth and disband the three-member investigation committee formed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. They said that ever since the five Singh Sahibs had directed the Akali Dal to expel Virsa Singh Valtoha from the party and had sternly reprimanded the Akali leadership from the Akal Takht wall that the current leadership had lost the moral authority to run Akali affairs, Giani Harpreet Singh’s departure was almost certain from that day.
Panthic leaders believed that both Sukhbir Singh Badal and Virsa Singh Valtoha were very arrogant people and they were expected to target the Jathedars when the time came and not accept the Gurmata from the Akal Takht wall. The strategy of the Badal group has become clear due to the removal of Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh from the post. He alleged that the Sukhbir faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal had hatched a conspiracy to delay their resignations, arbitrarily change the Hukamnama and sideline the committee formed by the Takht Sahib. He said that despite abandoning their ‘Panthic agenda’ and facing degradation, the Akalis have continued to interfere in religious matters and Panthic politics, which is unacceptable for the Sikh Panth. The Jathedar of the Akal Takht Sahib should take a strong stand on this.
Meanwhile, senior Akali leaders who were associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal reform movement have decided to call a big gathering to protest the conspiracy against Giani Harpreet Singh.
Akali leaders of the rebel faction Jathedar Gurpartap Singh Wadala, former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, former ministers Surjit Singh Rakhra and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, former MPs Prem Singh Chandumajra, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Santa Singh Umaidpuri, Bibi Paramjit Kaur Landran said that in the coming days, a big gathering will be held at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib and all the Panthic parties will be taken together to form a front against this conspiracy. The nation will never forgive the Badal Dal for this conspiracy.
