Chandigarh: Akal Takht - the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs - has summoned Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann to appear before the Takht on January 15 to explain his alleged ``derogatory utterances’’ against Sikh institutions and related issues.
Addressing newspersons in Amritsar on Monday, Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj said that the CM Mann had been summoned over his alleged statements which had hurt the sentiments of the community. Mann had made ``disparaging remarks against Sikh principles including Daswandh and Guru ki Golak’’, he added.
It may be recalled that the development also follows the recent FIR against 16 persons in the case of 328 missing ``saroops’’ of Guru Granth Sahib – an issue Mann claimed Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was using as a ``shield’’ to protect political associates.
Stating that since Mann was not a ``sabat surat Sikh’’ (one embodying spiritual discipline), he could not appear before the ``fasil’’ of the Takh, the Jathedar said that it was why he had been summoned to the its secretariat.
Questioning the state government’s delay in delivering justice in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege and 2017 Maur bomb attack case in which seven persons including five children were killed, the Jathedar also asked as to why no action was taken against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his associate Honeypreet whose were allegedly named as perpetrators in the said case.
Meanwhile, reacting to summoning by Akal Takht, Mann said in his post on X that he respected the Akal Takht’s directive and will comply with it and that he will appear before it by walking barefoot like a humble Sikh and not as the chief minister. He also said that he might not participate in a conference at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, which is scheduled to be attended by President Droupadi Murmu on January 15.
Mann is the third sitting chief minister to be summoned by Akal Takht after Parkash Singh Badal in 1979 and Surjit Singh Barnala in 1986.
