Chandigarh, Mar 7 (PTI) Former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Friday strongly condemned the dismissals of the Akal Takht and the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib jathedars, calling it a "black day" for the Sikh community.
Echoing him, several politicians criticised the Akal Takht jathedar's removal, saying some leaders had "openly challenged" the Akal Takht for "political interests."
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday removed Giani Raghbir Singh from the post of Akal Takht jathedar and said his leadership was deemed "inadequate in guiding the 'panth (Sikh community)'" in the face of growing challenges and that his "inconsistent approach weakened 'panthic' unity".
The SGPC's executive committee also removed Giani Sultan Singh as jathedar of the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.
It appointed Sikh scholar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gadgaj as the new jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. He will additionally serve as the acting jathedar of Akal Takht -- the highest temporal seat of Sikhs -- until an appointment is made.
The Akal Takht in Amritsar and the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district are two of the five seats of temporal authority of Sikhism.
Reacting to the development, Giani Harpreet Singh said, "For the Sikh community, 'panthic' institutions and for everyone, today is a black day."
"Two jathedars of takhts have been replaced," he said and added they were removed because of an edict the Akal Takht had issued on December 2.
"That is why I call it the biggest black day in Sikh history," Giani Harpreet Singh said.
Giani Harpreet Singh was removed as jathedar of the Takht Sri Damdama Sahib on February 10 last year. On February 13, Giani Raghbir Singh had condemned the dismissal.
The Akal Takht on December 2 pronounced religious punishment for Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for "mistakes" committed by the party and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.
The Akal Takht had also announced the formation of a seven-member committee to supervise the party's new membership drive.
Shiromani Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali called the decision to remove the two jathedars "very unfortunate and painful".
"Every Sikh is hurt … To restore the dignity of Sikh institutions, the entire Sikh community needs to unite," Ayali said in a post on Facebook.
Rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala also condemned the SGPC's move, calling it a "suicidal step".
"The SGPC executive committee, after taking orders from its boss, crushed all traditions and principles," said Wadala, in an apparent reference to Badal.
"The Sikh 'panth' will never approve it and they will have to face consequences," Wadala added. "The sentiments of the Sikh community have been hurt."
The Congress' Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also described the two jathedars' removal as one of the "darkest days" in contemporary Sikh history.
"It is evident to all why the 'jathedar sahiban' have been dismissed -- for upholding 'panthic maryada' by pronouncing Sukhbir Badal guilty of religious misconduct and stripping Parkash Singh Badal of the title of Fakhr-e-Qaum. This blatant act of vengeance against the highest temporal authority of the Sikh faith is a direct attack on the sanctity of our revered institutions," he said in a post on X.
"As a humble Sikh, I express profound sadness and strongly condemn this hijacking of the SGPC by Sukhbir Badal," he added. "The time has come to free these sacred institutions from political control and restore their autonomy for the greater good of the Khalsa 'panth'."
Other rebel Akali leaders, including Surjit Singh Rakhra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Charanjit Singh Brar, said in a joint statement that no worker or leader dedicated to the thinking of the Shiromani Akali Dal could ever, knowingly or unknowingly, think of going against the supremacy and the sovereignty of the Akal Takht but some leaders "openly challenged" the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs to fulfil their "political interests".
Under a "big conspiracy", some people are indulging in "anti-'panth' activities to save the politics of Sukhbir Badal", they said.
