Farmers Movement Archive

Sukhbir Badal meets Akal Takht jathedar over SGPC elections, takes jibe at BJP

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday met Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh in the Golden Temple complex and said his party was ready for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) general elections whenever they are conducted. This comes amid speculations on the gurdwara body polls in the wake of the appointment of chief commissioner for the same. SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal was also present in the meeting. Sukhbir, who was accompanied by his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and children, met the jathedar after attended a bhog (concluding) ceremony of akhand path organised by the family and paying obeisance at the shrine. The SAD chief, jathedar and Longowal remained in the Akal Takht secretariat for nearly half an hour. Later, during an interaction with mediapersons, Sukhbir said, “The SAD is ready for the elections whenever these are conducted. I welcome the appointment of Justice SS Saron as chief commissioner. The Sikh community elects the SGPC house. The SAD has been tasked with this for the last 100 years. Again, we will reach out to the sangat to garner their support. Other groups also have the right to be part of this democratic exercise.” Also, an attempt by members of some Sikh bodies to show Sukhbir and Longowal black flags on the issue of missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib was foiled. The protesters carrying black flags and placards stood at the Golden Temple entrance but the two exited from another gate. The SAD president took a jibe at its erstwhile alliance partner, BJP, over an announcement that the saffron party will contest the 2022 Punjab assembly elections on its own and will come power as well. “They are having this dream for long. Let them continue having it,” he said. Slamming Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh over the new farm laws, he said, “He should go to Delhi to convey all the concerns to the Central government and persuade it to revoke these legislations. But he does not step out of his farmhouse. I fail to understand why he is running away from his duty to protect the interests of the people of Punjab?”

Hindustan Times

12-10-2020

City