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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Akal Takht Jathedar summons Punjab minister Harjot Bains over Srinagar programme
Akal Takht 's officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Saturday asked Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before five 'Singh Sahiban' (high priests) on August 1 in the wake of a controversy over a programme to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary the ninth Sikh Guru Guru Teg Bahadur in Srinagar. The development came a day after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) took strong objection to "entertainment performances" at the event on Thursday held by the Punjab Government's Language Department, calling it a direct affront to Sikh religious values . Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Management MCA Leadership Operations Management Project Management Public Policy PGDM Artificial Intelligence Product Management others healthcare Healthcare Design Thinking Data Science Others MBA Degree Digital Marketing CXO Technology Data Analytics Finance Data Science Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details The Jathedar of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs on Saturday also summoned the director of the state language department, Jaswant Singh. Meanwhile, Education Minister Bains said he will appear before the Akal Takht and will be bound to obey every order while accepting his moral responsibility. He said that whatever happened due to the negligence of the organisers, knowingly or unknowingly, in the event, he, as a Sikh cabinet minister, seeks forgiveness. Live Events Jathedar Giani Gargaj said that despite the passage of considerable time, neither the minister nor the director has clarified their position, nor have they issued any apology for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community. In a statement, Gargaj emphasised that individuals holding constitutional positions have a greater responsibility towards society, and the silence of state officials on such a sensitive matter raises serious concerns. He said that it is for the first time in history that an event commemorating the martyrdom Shatabdi (centenary) of a Guru Sahib began with songs, dance, and entertainment, something entirely unacceptable. The Jathedar noted that the August 1 gathering will deliberate on 'Panthic' and religious matters, and both Harjot Singh and Jaswant Singh have been summoned to present their sides. He also mentioned that singer Bir Singh, against whom complaints were also received for his involvement, appeared before Akal Takht Sahib on Friday and tendered an apology, which too will be taken into consideration during the assembly of the five 'Singh Sahiban.' PTI CHS APL APL RT RT Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Akal Takht Jathedar summons Punjab minister Harjot Bains over Srinagar programme
Amritsar/Chandigarh, Jul 26 (PTI) Akal Takht's officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Saturday asked Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before five 'Singh Sahiban' (high priests) on August 1 in the wake of a controversy over a programme to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary the ninth Sikh Guru Guru Teg Bahadur in Srinagar. The development came a day after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) took strong objection to 'entertainment performances" at the event on Thursday held by the Punjab Government's Language Department, calling it a direct affront to Sikh religious values. The Jathedar of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs on Saturday also summoned the director of the state language department, Jaswant Singh. Meanwhile, Education Minister Bains said he will appear before the Akal Takht and will be bound to obey every order while accepting his moral responsibility. He said that whatever happened due to the negligence of the organisers, knowingly or unknowingly, in the event, he, as a Sikh cabinet minister, seeks forgiveness. Jathedar Giani Gargaj said that despite the passage of considerable time, neither the minister nor the director has clarified their position, nor have they issued any apology for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community. In a statement, Gargaj emphasised that individuals holding constitutional positions have a greater responsibility towards society, and the silence of state officials on such a sensitive matter raises serious concerns. He said that it is for the first time in history that an event commemorating the martyrdom Shatabdi (centenary) of a Guru Sahib began with songs, dance, and entertainment, something entirely unacceptable. The Jathedar noted that the August 1 gathering will deliberate on 'Panthic' and religious matters, and both Harjot Singh and Jaswant Singh have been summoned to present their sides. He also mentioned that singer Bir Singh, against whom complaints were also received for his involvement, appeared before Akal Takht Sahib on Friday and tendered an apology, which too will be taken into consideration during the assembly of the five 'Singh Sahiban.' PTI CHS APL APL RT RT view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 17:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Sikh religious row erupts over viral song-&-dance at Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom day event by Punjab govt
A controversy has erupted over alleged violation of Sikh 'maryada' (religious code of conduct) after a song-and-dance video went viral from a Punjab government function to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and other Sikh high priests at the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.(HT File Photo) Punjab education minister on Saturday issued an apology and 'humbly submitted' himself for a hearing scheduled by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal body of the Sikhs, for August 1. His apology post on X came after the temporal authority summoned both Bains and the director of the state language department, Jaswant Singh Zafar, to appear before five Singh Sahiban (Sikh clergy) on August 1 at the Akal Takht. Bir Singh, the singer who performed at the on July 24 event, already offered an apology to the jathedar; and posted a video with a detailed clarification too. What minister Bains says: 'We invited Bir Singh because…' Harjot Singh Bains, minister and senior leader of the ruling AAP, in his post in Punjabi on Saturday, explained, 'The Language Department of Punjab organised an event in Srinagar dedicated to the martyrdom day of the ninth guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, in which prominent intellectuals and scholars shared their thoughts with the congregation about the life and martyrdom of [the guru].' He said Bir Singh was invited as 'he is a devout Sikh singer, and most of his songs are religious in nature'. Also, he added, he had sung a composition by the ninth guru — Salok Mahalla Nauvan — which was why he was invited. Bains added, 'Due to an unintentional oversight by the organisers, for whatever happened during this event, as a Sikh and a cabinet Minister, I seek forgiveness." Stressing that he is 'a true and humble Sikh', he said 'I will present themselves barefoot at Sri Akal Takht Sahib and be bound to obey every command.' In its summons, the jathedar had said that neither minister Bains nor director Zafar had so far clarified their position 'nor issued any apology for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community'. He added that it was for the first time that an event commemorating the martyrdom centenary of a guru began with songs, dance, and entertainment, 'something entirely unacceptable'. Bir Singh, in a Facebook and Instagram video of apology, said his management made 'the biggest mistake" by 'not giving me with accurate information about the programme'. He said, 'I went directly to the stage, and since all my attention was on the audience, I didn't see the banner behind the stage. This is my mistake... When we realised that the programme was dedicated to the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, we immediately apologised to the sangat and recited Salok Mahalla Nauvan." He also said that he had always sung songs that 'you can listen to with your entire family'. Who can hold the events? Already there was an ongoing row over who can or should organise events in the run-up to and mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur in November. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the elected religious body of the Sikhs, had objected to separate events by the state government. It asked the government not to "interfere" in religious matters. But Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had questioned the SGPC and asked whether it has a "copyright" over holding such events.
