Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seem earlier than the Akal Takht and render an unconditional apology for what it termed as utterances of a person “drunk with energy” in opposition to the best temporal physique of the Sikhs.
The Akali Dal’s demand comes after a Twitter spat between Mann and Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh that has prompted the politics within the state to warmth up.
Whereas the BJP is totally quiet on the matter, no less than one Congress MLA, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has come out brazenly in assist of the jathedar.
The Akal Takht is liable for taking all main selections regarding the neighborhood. The jathedar had Monday referred to as a gathering of a number of Sikh our bodies in Amritsar to determine on a collective plan of action by the Sikh neighborhood following the Mann authorities’s crackdown on radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh.
Following the assembly, Giani Harpreet Singh had given an ultimatum to the Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) authorities to launch all Sikh youths arrested in the course of the crackdown in opposition to Amritpal inside 24 hours.
Mann Tuesday attacked the jathedar over the ultimatum. In a Twitter message, he stated it was “identified” that he and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had all the time favoured the Akalis.
“Take a look at historical past and you will note that many jathedars had been utilized by the Akalis for his or her egocentric pursuits,” Mann stated. “It might have been higher had you issued an ultimatum over sacrilege and lacking types of Guru Granth Sahib.”
Mann was referring to the collection of incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib, which Sikhs take into account a residing Guru, which have occurred over time. Within the wake of such sacrilege incidents in 2015, the SAD-BJP state authorities led by former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his then deputy CM son Sukhbir Singh Badal was seen as having failed at nabbing these accountable.
Mann additionally took a dig on the jathedar over an analogous 2020 controversy wherein 328 saroops, or varieties, of the Guru Granth Sahib had been discovered lacking from the SGPC printing press. Though motion was taken in opposition to SGPC workers following an inner enquiry, a number of Sikh our bodies proceed to demand the registration of a felony case.
SGPC are largely seen as being managed by the SAD and are sometimes criticised for utilizing numerous means to remain related.
The jathedar responded to Mann’s tweet simply hours later.
“Bhagwant Mann ji, the way in which you might be representing Punjab, I’m additionally in my small method representing my neighborhood,” he stated in a message posted on Twitter. “It’s my proper and my obligation to demand justice for harmless Sikh youth. You’re proper that always easy spiritual individuals are utilized by politicians. I’m conscious of it. However you want to watch out in opposition to being utilized by politicians who need to preserve Punjab burning for his or her political pursuits.”
He additional stated: “We’ll speak about politics later. First, allow us to come collectively to make sure that the younger harmless boys put in jails are launched and are in a position to meet their ready moms. Could Vaaheguru bless (you).”
Additionally Learn: ‘Deaddiction champion, new face of an outdated nightmare, state agent’ — what Amritpal means for Punjab’s villages
‘Mann has forgotten God’
The SAD additionally reacted strongly to Mann’s tweet in opposition to the jathedar. In a collection of tweets SAD President Sukhbir Badal wrote: “I can not consider that this puppet chief minister is so drunk with energy that he has, on the asking of the anti-Sikh foyer sitting in Delhi, dared to tackle the Guru Ghar”.
He additional stated: “He’ll meet the identical destiny as those that had earlier challenged the authority of the best temporal physique of the Sikhs — the Akal Takht — constructed by the sixth Guru on the rules of miri-piri (temporal and religious authority). There’s nonetheless time. Mann ought to, with out losing any time, unconditionally seem earlier than the Akal Takht and apologise for this spiritual ignorance.”
Though there is no such thing as a phrase from the Congress celebration over the problem, MLA Sukhpal Khaira supported the Jathedar over the ultimatum.
“I assist the ultimatum given by Jathedar Akal Takhat to launch youths, cease the indiscriminate misuse of NSA, cease mass arrests, cease gagging media, and many others,” Khaira stated in a tweet. “I’m ashamed of @BhagwantMann who’s appearing as a pawn to defame his personal neighborhood & PB on the behest of Delhi with none provocation”.
He additionally criticised Mann for his tweet in opposition to the jathedar.
“It’s unhappy that as an alternative of giving justice to the Sikh youth who’ve been caught within the whirlwind (of the crackdown), Bhagwant Mann is taking up the Akal Takht Sahib. It appears that evidently whereas operating on the orders of Delhi, he’s drunk with energy and has forgotten God too,” tweeted Khaira.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
Additionally Learn: Amritpal educated males to make use of weapons at makeshift firing vary in his village: Punjab Police