SAD faction rumoured to back Balwant Singh Rajoana as Jathedar, while Sarbat Khalsa backs Jagtar Singh Hawara
(SAD) is actively promoting the idea of appointing Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for his alleged involvement in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and is currently incarcerated at Central Jail, Patiala, as the Jathedar of Akal Takht even as the organisers of the Sarbat Khalsa, who appointed Jagtar Singh Hawara—the alleged mastermind behind Beant Singh's assassination and currently held in Tihar Jail—are reportedly advocating for the acceptance of Hawara as the Jathedar of Akal Takht by the SAD.
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Bhai Balwant Singh Gopala, former President of the Sikh Youth Federation, Bhinderanwala, said that Balwant Singh Rajoana has consistently been expressing support for the SAD and praised the leadership of the Badal family. Given Rajoana's longstanding alignment with SAD, Gopala said that it would not come as a surprise if he were appointed to the prestigious position of Jathedar of Akal Takht, especially considering that the SAD holds a majority in the General House of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which announces such decisions.
In 2022, the SAD president
had announced Kamaldeep Kaur Rajoana, sister of Balwant Singh Rajoana as joint candidate of SAD-BSP and all Panthic organizations for Sangruru Lok Sabha by elections.
However, Gopala also emphasised that while Rajoana's appointment as Jathedar of Akal Takht is not a certainty, the possibility remains, particularly in light of opposition to the current officiating Jathedar, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Gargaj.
He speculated that, in the future, a permanent Jathedar of Akal Takht might be appoint in a manner similar to how Gargaj serves as the Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib. "The narrative being made about Rajoana could be a tactic to gauge the panthic mood," he said.
The credence to the closeness of Rajoana with the Badals and his influence in a section of SAD is evident from the decision taken by SGPC on Friday after it decided to temporarily defer the matter of displaying a portrait of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the Central Sikh Museum—after Rajoana wrote a two-page letter raising objections to SGPC's decision of displaying Manmohan Singh's portrain to the SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami from Central Jail, Patiala on May 14.
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SGPC Secretary Partap Singh informed that the SGPC's Executive Committee approved the installation of Dr Manmohan Singh's portrait in the Central Sikh Museum in the recent past, but following the objections raised by various groups, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami has ordered the matter to be put on hold for the time being. However, he didn't inform about the persons or the organisations who objected to the SGPC's decision on the portrait.
"SGPC respects the sentiments of the Sikh community and believes that a general consensus among Sikhs is essential on this matter," he said, adding that the decision regarding the portrait will be reconsidered in a future meeting of the Executive Committee.
Meanwhile, Jarnail Singh Sakhira, the chief organiser of the 2015 Sarbat Khalsa that appointed Jagtar Singh Hawara as Jathedar of Akal Takht, has urged those opposing Hawara's appointment to recognise the legitimacy of a Jathedar chosen by the Sangat rather than by political parties or religious groups.
"The time has come for all to acknowledge the authority of a Jathedar appointed by the people, not by external influences," Sakhira said.
He further criticised the current officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, claiming that he lacks widespread acceptance among the Sikh community.
Sakhira also pointed out that the family of Bhai Amrik Singh, the late President of the All India Sikh Students Federation who died during Operation Bluestar, informed the Sarbat Khalsa organisers that they will not accept siropas (robes of honour) from Giani Gargaj during an upcoming ceremony scheduled for June 6 to mark the Operation Bluestar anniversary.
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