Dhami proudly calls himself a soldier of Badal, not Guru Gobind Singh, says Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
Says Akal Takht is 'above all of us', asserts that they have 'no intention of interfering in religious institutions'
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann draws thunderous applause at an AAP event in Punjab, underscoring his rising popularity as attention shifts from the party’s central leadership. (Express Archive) Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Sunday attacked the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami and called him a soldier of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“Instead of calling himself a soldier of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, he proudly calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal,” said the CM, addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation stone of 23 new rural link roads in Majitha. “What good can be expected from such a person, who takes pride in serving someone who ruined Punjab with his every move?”
Mann reiterated the supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and said, “Sri Akal Takht Sahib is above all of us. That is why I did not attend the function of the President of India and chose instead to appear before the Takht.”
He said that unlike his government, the Akalis have repeatedly undermined the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. “Jathedars have been appointed and removed at their whims, dealing a severe blow to the sanctity of these institutions.”
The CM alleged that it was due to the misdeeds of the Akalis and the SGPC that the state government was compelled to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the missing 328 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. “Our only objective is to trace the missing saroops. We have no intention of interfering in religious institutions,” he said.
Without naming Bikram Singh Majithia, Mann said, “Earlier, this area lived under constant fear. A self-proclaimed ‘jarnail’ of the region used false cases as a weapon against ordinary people. With deep connections in both Congress and Akali governments, he unleashed a reign of terror, and people were afraid to speak.”
The CM said that people have charted a new path by rejecting the alleged politics of intimidation pursued by the Majithia and Badal families. “This very Majitha area was once controlled by people who hosted General Dyer for dinner on the same day as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. Such acts of betrayal can never be forgotten. The people of Punjab will never forgive those whose hands were stained with the blood of innocent masses.”
Mann warned that bringing the Akali Dal back to power would mean dragging Punjab back into a dark era. “It will mean the return of ‘Beadbi’ (sacrilege) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, firing on innocent protesters and atrocities against the common man,” he said.
Declaring AAP leader Talbir Singh Gill as the AAP’s candidate from Majitha in the 2027 Assembly elections, the CM said, “The time has come for the people of Majitha to move beyond submitting demand letters and start taking decisions themselves.”
Mann said that special attention is being paid to the welfare of border residents, whom he described as true patriots. “In a major relief to farmers in the border belt, the Central government has given in-principle approval to shift the border fence closer to the International Border,” he said, adding that this would allow unhindered cultivation of thousands of acres currently lying beyond the fencing. He said he had raised the issue with the union Home Minister, pointing out the daily hardships faced by farmers who were forced to cross the fence under BSF escort to reach their own fields along the 532-kilometre India-Pakistan border.
The CM said that the renewal of 23 rural link roads in the Majitha constituency will be carried out at a cost of ₹11.32 crore. “Projects worth ₹11.32 crore have been initiated for the renovation of link roads in several villages of Majitha constituency. Out of this, ₹9.94 crore will be spent on road renovation and ₹1.38 crore on their maintenance over the next five years. These roads were in a deplorable condition, causing immense inconvenience to commuters and farmers transporting their produce to markets,” he said.
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