Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Monday summoned Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to appear before the Takht secretariat on January 15 to explain his alleged utterances against Sikh institutions and related issues.
Responding to the summons, Mann said he respected the directive and would comply with it. “I will appear before Akal Takht by walking barefoot like a humble Sikh, not as the Chief Minister,” Mann posted on X.
Addressing mediapersons in Amritsar, the Jathedar said the summons had been issued in view of the CM’s alleged repeated statements denigrating and insulting Sikh institutions, “which had hurt the sentiments of the community”. He said Mann had made “disparaging remarks against key Sikh principles, including Daswandh and Guru Ki Golak”.
“The action has also been initiated in view of a highly objectionable video of the CM that surfaced recently, in which he is seen indulging in extremely objectionable activity with the images of Sikh Gurus,” he said.
The Jathedar clarified that since Mann was not a ‘Sabat Surat Sikh’ (one embodying spiritual discipline), he could not appear before the Takht’s ‘fasil’ and had instead been summoned to the secretariat.
Gargaj also questioned the delay in delivering justice in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege and the 2017 Maur bomb attack cases in which seven persons, including five children, were killed. He asked when Bargari case accused Pradeep Kaler, who was arrested earlier, had “named Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his associate Honeypreet as perpetrators”, why no action was taken against them. He claimed the Maur blast case was also “linked to the dera”.
The Jathedar also accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of trying to draw political mileage from the Bargari issue. He said when AAP leaders had been repeatedly claiming that the Maur blast was carried out to prevent them from coming to power, why no action was taken in the case even after the party assumed power. Meanwhile, Punjab Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond visited Akal Takht barefoot and also appeared before the Jathedar. Sond assured the Jathedar of appointing in his department an official well-versed in Sikh history, culture and code of conduct to oversee government-run institutions connected to the religion.
Chief Khalsa Diwan president and AAP MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, who also appeared before the Jathedar, assured him of complying with the constitution of a century-old Sikh educational body that allowed only Amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs as members.
Sond and Nijjar appeared before Gargaj following directions issued by the Sikh high priests on December 28.
Sond appeared to offer a clarification in person over a painting depicting Guru Gobind Singh wearing shoes while administering Amrit Sanchar to Bhai Jaita Ji at Bhai Jeevan Singh (Bhai Jaita Ji) Memorial in Anandpur Sahib. The Sikh high priests had termed it to be against Sikh principles and traditions.
Delegates of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also appeared before the Jathedar in a separate case