Akal Takht Jathedar tweet on meet to discuss ‘current situation in Punjab’ withheld, SAD targets CM Bhagwant Mann

This also comes at a time when the Jathedar is engaged in a war of words with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann — the trigger being an ultimatum issued by Giani Harpreet Singh on Monday to the Punjab government asking it to release within 24 hours all “innocent Sikh youth” arrested amid crackdown on Waris Punjab De and its chief and pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh. The ultimatum was issued after the event whose poster has now been “withheld in India in response to legal demand”.

The singer, who has 2.42 lakh followers on Twitter, had not posted anything since the police crackdown began on March 18.

More than 100 Twitter accounts and tweets have been withheld in India since the crackdown on Amritpal began. Punjabi singer Babbu Mann’s Twitter account was also withheld on Monday. The singer, who has 2.42 lakh followers on Twitter, had not posted anything since the police crackdown began on March 18.

Reacting to the latest development, Shiromani Akali Dal Badal president Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Now the governments have come down to the extent of banning even the words from Sri Akal Takht Sahib. My warning to Bhagwant Mann is not to challenge Guru Ghar. Stop the attacks on the highest shrine of Miri Piri, otherwise remember the horror of those who challenged Sri Akal Takht Sahib”.

At a press conference, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema asked Mann to “apologize” to the Sikh Sangat for “insulting” the Akal Takht and its Jathedar. Cheema also asked the chief minister to “seek forgiveness from the supreme temporal seat for filing a complaint to remove a tweet of the Jathedar from social media besides accusing the latter of inflaming passions”.

“Jathedar Sahib convened a meeting of intellectuals and political leaders to discuss the crackdown against innocent Sikh youth. Respecting the sentiments of the ‘sangat’, an ultimatum was given to release the innocent youth within 24 hours. Instead of respecting this religious directive, the chief minister chose to not only insult Jathedar Sahib but also previous Jathedars of Sri Akal Takht Sahib besides politicizing a case which was essentially one of human rights abuses,” Cheema said.

Asserting that all this had hurt Sikh sentiments, Cheema said it was condemnable that instead of realizing his mistake, the chief minister was “displaying arrogance”.

“It is a fact that the state government was forced to release a large number of Sikh youth who had been arrested on trivial charges,” Cheema demanded all pending cases against the youth who had secured bail should be withdrawn. The Akali leader also demanded “a stop to state repression against youth, intelligentsia, artists and media persons”.

Asserting that Akal Takht was a symbol of pride for Sikhs and that it had always stood up against repression and tyranny, Cheema said “The Akal Takht has also always upheld human values.”

“The CM is defaming Punjabis in league with the Central government. The current politics of polarization is aimed at taking Punjab back to the era of darkness,” he added.

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said the Akal Takht Sahib is the highest temporal seat of Sikhs and whenever its “jathedar” gives a call to the community, it congregates accordingly. But by withholding the jathedar’s tweet related to the meeting convened by him on March 27, governments have “exposed themselves that they are suppressing the voice of Sikhs in India and have not even left the jathedar out of its ambit”, he said.

He said the Centre and state governments should immediately stop this “game being played by them together”.

Dhami also criticised CM Mann for his comments on the jathedar through a tweet. “Bhagwant Singh Maan’s comment on Jathedar sahib is a direct challenge to the dignity of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Sikh community. He should immediately apologise to the Sikh community for this,” he said.

The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs and its Jathedar plays an important role in Punjab politics. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had met Giani Harpreet Singh at Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo town of Bathinda on January 25 earlier this year. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also visited the Akal Takht Jathedar on February 14 last year.