logo
Dhami censures rebel SAD chief's statement on SGPC

Dhami censures rebel SAD chief's statement on SGPC

Time of India7 hours ago
Amritsar: Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on Tuesday condemned former jathedar and head of the rebel faction of the
Shiromani Akali Dal
chief Giani Harpreet Singh's statement about "snatching" the SGPC, calling it an attack on the dignity, decorum, and historical significance of a key Sikh institution.
In response to media queries, Dhami said the SGPC was a panthic institution, whose leadership was entrusted through the will of the sangat and service was carried out accordingly.
He said the talk of forcibly taking over a Sikh institution revealed the intention that suggests he (Harpreet Singh) was allegedly being directed by someone else. Dhami emphasised that anyone could serve this institution constitutionally by winning elections, but unethical or immoral means were unacceptable.
The SGPC head further said the Akali Dal was the only panthic party. He warned that efforts to undermine this panthic party were misguided and instead, the focus should be on unity.
Dhami said the Sikh community faced many serious challenges today and it was important to address these sincerely. Making statements about capturing Sikh institutions only creates confusion within the community and should be avoided, he added.
MSID:: 123259282 413 |
Stay updated with the latest local news from your
city
on
Times of India
(TOI). Check upcoming
bank holidays
,
public holidays
, and current
gold rates
and
silver prices
in your area.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Justice Delayed, Memories Unfaded: Raj Nagar Remembers 1984
Justice Delayed, Memories Unfaded: Raj Nagar Remembers 1984

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Justice Delayed, Memories Unfaded: Raj Nagar Remembers 1984

New Delhi: In the weathered doorway of his home in Raj Nagar in southwest Delhi's Palam Colony, 81-year-old Sawarn Singh raised his trembling hands, eyes moist as he recreated the final moments of his 26-year-old brother-in-law's life. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "That's how he died," Singh said. "He put up his hands to surrender, but the mob shot him and four others on the spot." 's recent order on a retrial and reconstruction of missing case files from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots has stirred a fragile hope among the few families still remaining in what was once a thriving Sikh neighborhood, where a handful of aging houses stand among the cluster of newly built residences as silent witnesses to a dark chapter in Indian history. A survivor gave TOI directions to the notorious site in Raj Nagar: "There's a gurdwara, take the turn there, stop at the pole." But for her, that pole isn't just a marker — it's where her father was tied and burned alive as the family watched in horror. For Singh, the memories remain razor-sharp four decades later. "I was at work when there was a buzz about Indira Gandhi's assassination," he recalled. "Immediately afterwards, there were anti-Sikh sentiments expressed. I felt this fear in my heart and rushed back home, only to find mob violence had already started." What followed were days of terror that would forever scar this community. Singh describes how families huddled on terraces, lying flat against the concrete, occasionally lifting their heads just enough to peer through railings to see if the rioters were approaching. "We were hiding for our lives, especially the men, because there was a pattern," Singh explained. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The mob was targeting Sikh men and their sons with absolutely no remorse in their eyes, no hesitation or fear in the way they were hunting down people. " Singh credits the presence of mind of his late wife, who passed away earlier this year, with saving his life. When the mob came banging at their door, demanding "Yahan sardar hai?", she boldly answered in the negative. "To prove it, they demanded a photograph. My wife was smart enough to show them a picture of me from when I had gotten a haircut for work abroad before I grew my hair long again," Singh said. "She had hidden all the other framed pictures showing me wearing a turban. " Survival in the neighborhood meant erasing identity. Families burned wedding photos, discarded turbans and shed any visible trace of their Sikh heritage. Harpal Lal Singh, 78, recalled the agonizing choices neighbours had to make. "I remember cutting the hair of two boys with my own hands so they could hide in my house. I can still see how scared they were. Their parents pleaded with us to keep them safe," Harpal said. "The rioters killed our closest friends, the entire community of Sikhs who had settled here from Punjab's Jalandhar." His wife, Parkash Kaur, 73, was sleeping on the terrace with their four-month-old daughter when the mob arrived. "I only remember being frightened for my daughter's life," she said. Dalbir Singh, 71, recalls passing off his sons as girls. "My boys were just 3-4 years old. They had long hair and wore patkas. We removed them, dressed them up in frocks and sent them to the gurdwara in Moti Bagh to seek shelter." Even second-generation survivors carry the trauma. One widow explained how her late husband, whose in-laws faced the riots' brutality, refused to keep any photographs as reminders. "He discarded everything to obliterate any reminders of the past. Maybe some old utensils remain, but no pictures, no memories." There is weary skepticism about the high court's order "Why now and how?" mumbled Sawarn Singh. Dalbir's wife, Balwinder Kaur, voiced the exhaustion of a community that has waited four decades for justice. "We lost track of all documents. Those who initially tried approaching authorities, the widowed women with no resources, what were they supposed to do? Follow up for how long? Do we have to track down every helpless mother or wife who returned to their villages? Maybe some of them aren't even alive anymore. How can we expect justice to be truly served?" The court decision may offer a glimmer of hope, but for families who have spent four decades living with injustice, hope itself is now a fragile, complicated emotion.

Will file criminal complaint against breakaway faction for misusing party name: Badal-led SAD
Will file criminal complaint against breakaway faction for misusing party name: Badal-led SAD

The Print

time2 hours ago

  • The Print

Will file criminal complaint against breakaway faction for misusing party name: Badal-led SAD

The Akal Takht-appointed committee held the delegate session of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar on Monday. The party's statement came a day after former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was unanimously elected as the president of the SAD's breakaway faction in a meeting of the delegate session held in Amritsar. Chandigarh, Aug 12 (PTI) Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal Tuesday warned that it would file a criminal complaint against leaders of the breakaway faction for trying to misappropriate the name of the party, saying the SAD is a registered and recognized party under the Election Commission's 1996 notification. The rebel Akali leaders called their faction as the 'real' SAD and dubbed the Badal-led outfit as the 'Bhagora dal', which defied the Akal Takht's directive of reviving the SAD on December 2, 2024. When asked about the name of the faction, Giani Harpreet Singh had said that it would be the Shiromani Akali Dal. He had also said that they would claim the SAD election symbol and the party office. Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, Badal-led SAD's senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema called the breakaway faction 'Vakhra Chulha' party and asked them not to try to 'deceive' Punjabis by making false claims. 'At present 100 per cent delegates of the Shiromani Akali Dal are with the party,' he said. Stating that all delegates of the SAD were elected after a due election following the end of the term of the previous working committee, Cheema said the members of the 'Vakhra Chulha' had not participated in the membership drive. He went on to say that all members of the SAD had taken membership of the party after submitting a membership fee of Rs 10 which was applicable for five years. 'The separate group did not conduct a membership drive as per the constitution of the party which stipulates that every member has to pay a fee of Rs 10. Therefore, they have no right to call their party meeting a delegate session of the SAD and can be proceeded against for indulging in cheating and forgery,' he said. He also termed the move as 'illegal, unconstitutional and immoral' and said the SAD was consulting legal experts in order to file a formal criminal complaint in this regard. Daljit Cheema also took on Giani Harpreet Singh for 'violating' the 'hukamnama' of the Akal Takht Sahib issued on December 2, 2024, stating the separate group should close its 'shop' and merge with the SAD in 'Panthic' interest. Cheema said instead of doing this, Giani Harpreet Singh had gone ahead to 'open a new shop'. 'It is extremely unfortunate and unbecoming that a person who has served as the Jathedar of the apex Sikh institution did not follow the directives written by himself,' he said. The SAD leader also urged the media to act responsibly and accord due respect to democratic institutions. Asserting that it was blatantly wrong to refer to Giani Harpreet Singh as the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Cheema said this had sent confusing signals in the public. On the withdrawal of the land pooling policy by the AAP government after mounting pressure from farmer bodies and opposition parties, the SAD thanked people for giving enormous support to the SAD's grassroot-level agitation to defeat AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's 'conspiracy' to acquire 65,000 acres of fertile land. It announced that the party would offer thanksgiving at the Akal Takht on August 31 under the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal. PTI CHS KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

Wave the yellow card on BJP leaders calling Trump names. It's sub-juvenile behaviour
Wave the yellow card on BJP leaders calling Trump names. It's sub-juvenile behaviour

The Print

time5 hours ago

  • The Print

Wave the yellow card on BJP leaders calling Trump names. It's sub-juvenile behaviour

Dadagiri, unworthy, big boss — BJP ministers and leaders calling Trump names is sub-juvenile. Keenness to please their angry support base is no excuse. BJP's politics cannot be running ahead of Modi government's measured diplomacy. Somebody needs to blow the whistle and wave the yellow card, if not yet the red. Sikh religious politics is undergoing a fresh churn. It's dangerous for Punjab and India The latest split underlines the existential crisis for Shiromani Akali Dal, India's oldest regional party. This fresh churn in Sikh religious politics was already stirred by radicals like Amritpal. Punjab's voters will ultimately decide which Akali Dal is real, but instability in Sikh politics is dangerous for Punjab and India.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store