Mann says Akal Takht Jathedar ‘provoking’ people, he hits back: ‘my right’

Mann says Akal Takht Jathedar ‘provoking’ people, he hits back: ‘my right’

In a tweet, Mann raked up the issue of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib to hit out at the Jathedar and the Badals.

“Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib ji…Everybody knows that you and SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) have been furthering Badals’ cause. Look at the history. Badals used many Jathedars for their selfish motives. It would have been good had you given an ultimatum for desecrated Guru Granth Sahib rather than provoking the people living happily and harmoniously,” Mann said.

The incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.

In another case, 328 ‘saroops’ (copies) of Guru Granth Sahib had gone missing from the records of the publication house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

Reacting to CM’s tweet, Jathedar said that while Maan represents Punjab, “I am also a humble representative of my community”.

“I also have the right and my duty to talk about the rights of the innocent youth of my community. You are right, often innocent religious people are used by political people. I am fully aware of this. But you should be careful that political people like you shouldn’t be used by political people to keep Punjab burning like an oven for political gains. We will talk about politics later. First let’s save Punjab together and unite the mothers, who are waiting at home, with their innocent sons who have been put in jail and take their blessings,” said the Jathedar.

Later in the day, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal attacked the Jathdear saying as is the head of Akal Takht, he should lead the Sikhs and not just the Akali Dal. “When Guru Granth Sahib was used as a shield in Ajnala, Jathedar Sahib constituted a committee. Where is the report? The Jathedar should go to villages, propagate Sikhism and teachings of Gurus, run a campaign against the drugs,” said Dhaliwal.

On police action against Amritpal and his associates, Dhaliwal said, “Punjab is not a terrorist state. Punjab’s government is not a cruel government. It has not beaten people or fired bullets at protestors like previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments. Bhagwant Mann-led government launched a major operation but not one person was even slapped. Whoever was arrested and found innocent has been released”.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira too waded in.

“A puppet Chief Minister has become so blind with power that he is determined to take on the Guru Ghar under the influence of the anti-Sikh lobby sitting in Delhi. The consequences of this will also be the same as to what happened to those waged war against the Guru Ghar in Sikh history, especially the highest institution of the Khalsa Panth. There is still time for Maan to repent for his foolish religious disobedience and unconditionally appear before Akal Takht and seek forgiveness,” said Sukhbir Badal.

Sukhpal Khaira, in a tweet said, “It is sad that instead of giving justice to the Sikh youth victims of oppression, Bhagwant Mann is taunting Akal Takht Sahib. It seems he is not in senses while walking on the signals from Delhi…and he is no more afraid of even God”.

Unlike the previous chief ministers, who mostly sidestepped the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Mann has remained at loggerheads with its Jathedar. He had earlier taken on the Jathedar when the latter had asked the Sikh youths to get armed. Mann had then stated that the Jathedar should have asked them to get educated rather.

Another time, the Punjab government had curtailed the security of the Akal Takht Jathedar after which Giani Harpreet Singh had returned the remaining security personnel. Jathedar’s security was downsized along with that of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and more than 400 other VIPs in state. The CM and the ruling AAP had made specific tweets about reducing Jathedar’s security.

After the controversy, Mann had visited Jathedar and had close door meeting with him at Akal Takht secretariat.

Earlier issuing the 24-hour ultimatum, the Jathedar had warned that a “diplomatic campaign will be launched in the country and abroad” to let the world know “how the Sikhs were being treated”.

The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few persons during the crackdown on Amritpal and his outfit Waris Punjab De.

The Jathedar had issued the ultimatum during a special gathering of Sikh organizations, including intellectuals, Sikh lawyers, journalists, religious and social leaders he had called to discuss the current situation in Punjab following the March 18 action against Amritpal.
Hours before that, the CM while speaking at Jalandhar, had stated that he had directed the DGP to release those youths who were innocent.

The Aam Aadmi Party had also reacted to the ultimatum and urged Jathedar to ensure that the Sikh preachers only worked honestly towards propagating the message of Gurus and not mislead the youths.

In a tweet, Mann raked up the issue of the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib to hit out at the Jathedar and the Badals.

“Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib ji…Everybody knows that you and SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) have been furthering Badals’ cause. Look at the history. Badals used many Jathedars for their selfish motives. It would have been good had you given an ultimatum for desecrated Guru Granth Sahib rather than provoking the people living happily and harmoniously,” Mann said.

The incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.

In another case, 328 ‘saroops’ (copies) of Guru Granth Sahib had gone missing from the records of the publication house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

Reacting to CM’s tweet, Jathedar said that while Maan represents Punjab, “I am also a humble representative of my community”.

“I also have the right and my duty to talk about the rights of the innocent youth of my community. You are right, often innocent religious people are used by political people. I am fully aware of this. But you should be careful that political people like you shouldn’t be used by political people to keep Punjab burning like an oven for political gains. We will talk about politics later. First let’s save Punjab together and unite the mothers, who are waiting at home, with their innocent sons who have been put in jail and take their blessings,” said the Jathedar.

Later in the day, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal attacked the Jathdear saying as is the head of Akal Takht, he should lead the Sikhs and not just the Akali Dal. “When Guru Granth Sahib was used as a shield in Ajnala, Jathedar Sahib constituted a committee. Where is the report? The Jathedar should go to villages, propagate Sikhism and teachings of Gurus, run a campaign against the drugs,” said Dhaliwal.

On police action against Amritpal and his associates, Dhaliwal said, “Punjab is not a terrorist state. Punjab’s government is not a cruel government. It has not beaten people or fired bullets at protestors like previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments. Bhagwant Mann-led government launched a major operation but not one person was even slapped. Whoever was arrested and found innocent has been released”.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira too waded in.

“A puppet Chief Minister has become so blind with power that he is determined to take on the Guru Ghar under the influence of the anti-Sikh lobby sitting in Delhi. The consequences of this will also be the same as to what happened to those waged war against the Guru Ghar in Sikh history, especially the highest institution of the Khalsa Panth. There is still time for Maan to repent for his foolish religious disobedience and unconditionally appear before Akal Takht and seek forgiveness,” said Sukhbir Badal.

Sukhpal Khaira, in a tweet said, “It is sad that instead of giving justice to the Sikh youth victims of oppression, Bhagwant Mann is taunting Akal Takht Sahib. It seems he is not in senses while walking on the signals from Delhi…and he is no more afraid of even God”.

Unlike the previous chief ministers, who mostly sidestepped the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Mann has remained at loggerheads with its Jathedar. He had earlier taken on the Jathedar when the latter had asked the Sikh youths to get armed. Mann had then stated that the Jathedar should have asked them to get educated rather.

Another time, the Punjab government had curtailed the security of the Akal Takht Jathedar after which Giani Harpreet Singh had returned the remaining security personnel. Jathedar’s security was downsized along with that of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and more than 400 other VIPs in state. The CM and the ruling AAP had made specific tweets about reducing Jathedar’s security. After the controversy, Mann had visited Jathedar and had close door meeting with him at Akal Takht secretariat.

Earlier issuing the 24-hour ultimatum, the Jathedar had warned that a “diplomatic campaign will be launched in the country and abroad” to let the world know “how the Sikhs were being treated”.

The Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few persons during the crackdown on Amritpal and his outfit Waris Punjab De.

The Jathedar had issued the ultimatum during a special gathering of Sikh organizations, including intellectuals, Sikh lawyers, journalists, religious and social leaders he had called to discuss the current situation in Punjab following the March 18 action against Amritpal.

Hours before that, the CM while speaking at Jalandhar, had stated that he had directed the DGP to release those youths who were innocent.

The Aam Aadmi Party had also reacted to the ultimatum and urged Jathedar to ensure that the Sikh preachers only worked honestly towards propagating the message of Gurus and not mislead the youths.