Day after sacking of jathedars, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann asks Centre to hold SGPC elections

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership for what he described as a vengeful and unceremonious removal of Jathedars. He urged the central govt to conduct elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), questioning the legitimacy of the interim committee responsible for the dismissals.
Mann's remarks came a day after the SGPC terminated the services of Giani Raghbir Singh as Akal Takht Jathedar and removed Giani Sultan Singh as Takht Kesgarh Sahib's Jathedar. He argued that the SGPC's interim committee, which had carried out the removals, had lost its legitimacy almost a decade ago due to the absence of elections. "This is a religious matter. Politics should learn from religion, but now it's the other way around," Mann said. "The interim committee that removed the Jathedars was elected more than a decade ago. First, they should validate their own authority. I urge the Centre to hold SGPC general elections — it will reveal the true size of their public support."
Mann accused the Akali leadership of acting out of vengeance, calling the removals "unwarranted and undesirable." He said the decision had hurt the Sikh community deeply, which would not forgive these actions. Referring to SAD leadership, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said: "On one hand, they accepted their mistakes and served their religious punishment (Tankha). But now they want to remove the Jathedars? These decisions are driven by vendetta."
Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership for what he described as a vengeful and unceremonious removal of Jathedars. He urged the central govt to conduct elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), questioning the legitimacy of the interim committee responsible for the dismissals.
Mann's remarks came a day after the SGPC terminated the services of Giani Raghbir Singh as Akal Takht Jathedar and removed Giani Sultan Singh as Takht Kesgarh Sahib's Jathedar. He argued that the SGPC's interim committee, which had carried out the removals, had lost its legitimacy almost a decade ago due to the absence of elections. "This is a religious matter. Politics should learn from religion, but now it's the other way around," Mann said. "The interim committee that removed the Jathedars was elected more than a decade ago. First, they should validate their own authority. I urge the Centre to hold SGPC general elections — it will reveal the true size of their public support."
Mann accused the Akali leadership of acting out of vengeance, calling the removals "unwarranted and undesirable." He said the decision had hurt the Sikh community deeply, which would not forgive these actions. Referring to SAD leadership, including Sukhbir Singh Badal, Mann said: "On one hand, they accepted their mistakes and served their religious punishment (Tankha). But now they want to remove the Jathedars? These decisions are driven by vendetta."