Sacked Takht jathedar sets terms for exit

AMRITSAR, FEB 14: In a tactical move, suspended Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh today set pre-conditions that he would give up jath...

AMRITSAR, FEB 14: In a tactical move, suspended Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh today set pre-conditions that he would give up jathedarship only if head granthi of the Golden Temple Giani Mohan Singh honoured the pro-Badal appointed acting Jathedar Giani Puran Singh with a siropa’ (robe of honour) at his installation ceremony scheduled to be held here tomorrow.Addressing a press conference here, he said in view of the concept of miri and piri’ (temporal and spiritual) and the Sikh traditions, official recognition to a designated jathedar of the Akal Takht was accorded only if the Golden Temple head granthi honoured him with a siropa’.

The suspended jathedar said that if Giani Puran Singh was granted recognition by the head granthi, he would summon a Sarbat Khalsa’ (gathering of Sikhs) at the Golden Temple complex and announce his resignation from the jathedar’s post before the Sikh Sangat’. "However, if Giani Mohan Singh failed to do so then I will continue to be the jathedar of the Akal Takht,”he claimed.

Meanwhile, Bhai Ranjit Singh’s announcement has led to hectic activity in the Badal camp with senior leaders holding closed door consultation with Giani Mohan Singh to persuade him to present a siropa’ to Giani Puran Singh. Veteran Akali leader and chairman of the party’s Disciplinary Action Committee Jagdev Singh Talwandi, a close relative of Giani Mohan Singh, has been assigned the job to convince the head granthi.

Story continues below this ad

The pre-condition of Bhai Ranjit Singh was a matter of concern for the Badal camp, particularly after Giani Mohan Singh refused the post of the acting jathedar offered to him by the pro-Badal dominated SGPC executive at its meeting held here on February 10. Giani Mohan Singh’s reluctance had forced the executive to appoint Giani Puran Singh as acting head of the Takht.According to the Badal camp, concern for safety of his only son was the reason behind Giani Mohan Singh’s refusal to accept the acting jathedar’s post.

It was alleged that his son, who was settled in Canada, hadtold him on telephone that he could be eliminated by Sikh radical groups abroad who were supporting Bhai Ranjit Singh.

SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s closed door meeting with Giani Mohan Singh here on Friday last was another cause of concern for the Badal camp.Giani Mohan Singh had initially described Giani Puran Singh’s appointment as “anti-Panthic’, but he later accorded recognition to his appointment when Talwandi met him on February 11.

Meanwhile, security around Punjab’s Golden Temple has been beefed up for installation of the chief of the supreme temporal and spiritual seat of sikhs on Monday amidst warning by "suspended" Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh that it would signal the "beginning of a confrontation".Posse of policemen were deployed around the Golden Temple complex for the coronation of Giani Puran Singh appointed Akal Takht Jathedar by majority members of SGPC owing allegiance to Badal. Policemen in plain clothes as well as uniform have also been deployed around the residence ofGiani Singh and only senior Akali leaders and police officials were allowed to meet him.