LUDHIANA/AMRITSAR: The SAD and the SGPC on Tuesday defended Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, saying he was conducting himself as per panthic traditions and home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had no moral right to question his authority.
On Monday, Randhawa had objected to the jathedar’s appeal for making SAD stronger. “Making an appeal to strengthen SGPC is appropriate, but saying that SAD will automatically get stronger has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs,” he said. In a letter to the jathedar, Randhawa also expressed displeasure over holding of “panthic ikath” by the Akali Dal at the Golden Temple complex on Sunday to protest the incidents of sacrilege attempt, including at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple last month.
Harpreet Singh, during his address on January 2, had urged the community to strengthen the Akal Takht and the SGPC. “The SAD will get stronger automatically,” he had said.
At a press conference here, former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “Those who were instrumental in the demolition of the Akal Takht, destruction of hundreds of gurdwaras as well as a planned massacre of the Sikh community have no moral right to speak about the actions of its jathedar.”
He said Randhawa, whose father Santokh Singh Randhawa | had appreciated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the attack on the Sri Darbar Sahib, should realise that it was the Congress and its leaders who did not give recognition and respect to the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
He said when the jathedar had summoned 27 leaders to explain their conduct post-2017 elections, all 13 Akali leaders had presented themselves and accepted the religious punishment given to them.
“None of the 14 Congress leaders presented themselves before the Takht,” he added.
Defending the Badals, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Randhawa has no right to interfere in panthic affairs because his mother party, Congress, had attempted to end the community by committing genocide of Sikhs.”
While indirectly referring to Randhawa’s recent appearance in front of parallel jathedars, Dhami said Congress leaders had been undermining the traditions of Akal Takht.
“Their aim is to create confusion within the community. An example of this is the appearance of these leaders while standing on the road in front of self-made jathedars in the recent past.These people are doing such practices, only with the intention of weakening the panth,” claimed Dhami.
On Monday, Randhawa had objected to the jathedar’s appeal for making SAD stronger. “Making an appeal to strengthen SGPC is appropriate, but saying that SAD will automatically get stronger has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs,” he said. In a letter to the jathedar, Randhawa also expressed displeasure over holding of “panthic ikath” by the Akali Dal at the Golden Temple complex on Sunday to protest the incidents of sacrilege attempt, including at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple last month.
Harpreet Singh, during his address on January 2, had urged the community to strengthen the Akal Takht and the SGPC. “The SAD will get stronger automatically,” he had said.
At a press conference here, former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “Those who were instrumental in the demolition of the Akal Takht, destruction of hundreds of gurdwaras as well as a planned massacre of the Sikh community have no moral right to speak about the actions of its jathedar.”
He said Randhawa, whose father Santokh Singh Randhawa | had appreciated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for the attack on the Sri Darbar Sahib, should realise that it was the Congress and its leaders who did not give recognition and respect to the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.
He said when the jathedar had summoned 27 leaders to explain their conduct post-2017 elections, all 13 Akali leaders had presented themselves and accepted the religious punishment given to them.
“None of the 14 Congress leaders presented themselves before the Takht,” he added.
Defending the Badals, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said, “Randhawa has no right to interfere in panthic affairs because his mother party, Congress, had attempted to end the community by committing genocide of Sikhs.”
While indirectly referring to Randhawa’s recent appearance in front of parallel jathedars, Dhami said Congress leaders had been undermining the traditions of Akal Takht.
“Their aim is to create confusion within the community. An example of this is the appearance of these leaders while standing on the road in front of self-made jathedars in the recent past.These people are doing such practices, only with the intention of weakening the panth,” claimed Dhami.
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