Akali Dal faction names Bibi Jagir Kaur as SGPC prez post candidate

Jalandhar: Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar — a faction of Akali Dal — has announced the candidature of former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, for the post of SGPC president. Election for the post is scheduled to be held on Oct 28.
The announcement was made after a meeting of Sudhar Lehar office-bearers and members at Gurdwara Nauvin Patshahi Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar here Friday.Lehar convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala said Bibi’s name was declared following a feedback from a five-member committee, which said she was the unanimous choice of all 85 SGPC members. Over a dozen SGPC members were also present in the meeting, he added.
Speaking to the media, Bibi said her focus would be on restoring the honour of the Akal Takht. She said she was told that incumbent president Harjinder Singh Dhami did not follow the directives of Akal Takht to start SGGPC’s own channel for the live telecast of Gurbani. The current president also allegedly misled the Akal Takht by not providing correct information about spending Rs 92 lakh on advertisements following a pardon to Sirsa dera chief even as the then SGPC president, Avtar Singh Makkar, and the then chief secretary, Harcharan Singh, had made disclosures about it in the public domain. Bibi said transparency would be brought in the functioning of the SGPC and it would focus on medical and educational services.
The Sudhar Lehar meeting also passed resolutions to free Akal Takht from political control and restore SGPC to the Panth after freeing it from the control of one family. The meeting also resolved that SGPC members should listen to their conscience while voting.
Expressing concern at the recent diplomatic spat between India and Canada, the Sudhar Lehar showed sympathy for Canadian Sikhs and hoped that a resolution would be reached soon.
The Lehar convener claimed that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy to tarnish the image of Akal Takht and Damdama Sahib jathedars and the truth would be known in the days to come. Sudhar Lehar leader Prem Singh Chandumajra said it was concerning that SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar did not follow the directive of Akal Takht to expel Virsa Singh Valtoha, who recently made allegations against the Sikh clergy but failed to back them with evidence, and allowed him to resign.
Among the senior leaders who attended the meeting were former ministers Surjit Singh Rakhra, Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Parminder Singh Dhindsa, former MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan and Charanjit Singh Brar.