Former Akal Takht jathedar and president of Shiromani Akali Dal ( Punar Surjit) Giani Harpreet Singh has questioned incumbent jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj over what he described as selective application of Sikh religious edicts, seeking answers on why those who allegedly refused to comply with the December 2024 hukamnama were being given concessions while action was being taken against others.
He also questioned when action would be taken against those who allegedly repudiated the December 2 directive at Muktsar. Therefore, he said, decisions should be taken keeping the sanctity and authority of the Akal Takht foremost, rather than the authority of those who appointed the jathedar. Giani Harpreet Singh also questioned the jathedar’s handling of the controversy surrounding an incident at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. He alleged that two elected Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members had met the chief minister over the issue, but were subsequently subjected to criticism despite seeking answers on behalf of the Sikh community. Giani Harpreet Singh questioned whether any steps had been taken to compensate for what he described as damage to his reputation caused by alleged character assassination.
In a letter, Giani Harpreet Singh asked the jathedar to explain, in the light of Gurbani, Sikh tradition and history, whether the December 2, 2024, hukamnama was wrong and whether the hukamnama declaring chief minister Bhagwant Mann as “anti-panth” was correct. He said a jathedar was a servant of the Akal Takht and could not himself be equated with the institution. He said he had refrained from approaching civil courts out of respect for the Akal Takht and Sikh tradition, and appealed to the jathedar to provide justice within the religious institutional framewor
He further raised his own case, referring to the lifting of restrictions imposed on Virsa Singh Valtoha after the latter sought forgiveness before the Takht.
He urged the jathedar to explain whether such decisions were consistent with the principles of equality and justice expected from the highest Sikh temporal institution. He appealed to the jathedar to address the issues within the Sikh religious framework and ensure that decisions were based on established principles rather than individual or institutional considerations.
He also questioned the rationale behind allowing Virsa Singh Valtoha to return after he had sought forgiveness, while, according to him, no corresponding relief or corrective action had been extended in his case. Giani Harpreet Singh said he had approached the matter with restraint and had avoided taking the dispute to a civil court out of respect for the Akal Takht.
