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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Rebel SAD begins establishing new headquarters and reorganizing party structure in Amritsar
AMRITSAR : The reorganized Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), led by former officiating Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, began the process of establishing its party headquarters in Amritsar. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to constitute the party's core and executive committees to formalise its organisational structure and manage day-to-day affairs, along with contemplating Punjab's political affairs and Centre-State relations. A senior delegate of the rebel SAD, Jasbir Singh Ghuman, informed on Thursday, 'We are actively looking for a suitable office space in Amritsar to revive the traditional practice of having the SAD's headquarters in the holy city, along with a sub-office that will be established in Chandigarh to coordinate party affairs.' Former President of the All India Sikh Students Federation, Ghuman, also informed that a meeting is being held on Thursday involving the five-member Bharti Committee, party President Giani Harpreet Singh, and Chairperson of the Panthic Council, Satwant Kaur, aiming to finalise key decisions related to the party's structure and logistics to pave the way for the formal launch of the party's operations. Ghuman also informed that the party is currently engaged in discussions on key political issues concerning Punjab with intellectuals , and also studying the dynamics of Centre-State relations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo Dismissing reports of any alliance talks, he clarified, 'At this stage, we are focused on setting up the party's infrastructure and deliberating on both political and religious matters. There is no consideration of alliances at the moment. ' Stating that Harpreet Singh, now the President of the breakaway Akali faction, has no grand offices, no massive infrastructure, and no legacy machinery, a Sikh intellectual, P Ajnala, said, 'Harpreet has public traction and political calamity, which is far more dangerous for the Badals.' Speaking politically, he said the numbers tell a brutal story. Badal's SAD won only three seats in the 2022 assembly elections but now holds just one MLA in the state assembly — Ganieve Kaur Majithia, wife of jailed SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Other MLAs, Sukhminder Kumar, defected to AAP, while Manpreet Singh Ayali has openly aligned with the SAD rebel camp and is also one member of the five-member committee constituted by Akal Takht to reorganise the SAD. Similarly, he said that Lok Sabha representation of SAD led by Badal has shrunk to just one MP — Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of Sukhbir Badal . Meanwhile, the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), riding the tide of religious and youth sentiment, holds two MPs — Amritpal Singh, currently in jail, and Sarbajit Singh. Under the current circumstances, it will be far from a cakewalk for the Sukhbir Badal-led faction to regain its lost influence and public support in Punjab. The upcoming Tarn Taran by-election — expected to be the first significant electoral test — could serve as a mirror reflecting which party truly commands the confidence of the people in the state. 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. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Mann slams Akalis, calls SGPC a ‘golak committee'
1 2 3 Amritsar: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accused the Akalis of allegedly manipulating the appointments of jathedars and reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to a mere 'Shiromani Golak Prabandhak Committee' out of their greed for money. Addressing a public gathering here on Sunday, Mann alleged that the Badals misused their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including manipulating the appointment of jathedars of Akal Takht to suit their personal interests. He also alleged that, driven by financial motives, the Akalis degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused both it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains. Mann also accused them of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht to deceive the public and serve their own agendas. "Akalis not only looted the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions," he alleged, adding that their tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, which caused significant harm to Punjab. The chief minister said the Akali leadership symbolises a legacy where the poor were neglected while the powerful looted the state with impunity. He went on to allege that the Akalis exploited the underprivileged and weaker sections of society, adding that they are now facing the consequences of their actions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Born 1940-1975 With No Life Insurance Could Be Eligible For This Reassured Get Quote Undo SGPC hits back at Mann The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has strongly objected to chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's remark referring to the SGPC as the 'Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee' during his address on Sunday. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said Mann's remarks are baseless, deeply hurt Sikh sentiments, and show utter disrespect towards the supreme gurdwara management body of the Sikh community. He said such a comment not only reflects Mann's intellectual bankruptcy but also exposes his arrogance and shallow mindset. Dhami emphasised that the SGPC is not just a gurdwara administrative body but also an ideal institution in the fields of social service and education. 'Neglected weaker sections' Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday slammed traditional political parties for being insensitive to the welfare of economically weaker and underprivileged sections. He said, "these selfish leaders have always treated scheduled castes (SC) brethren merely as vote banks." Addressing the gathering, Mann said those who usurped money meant for the well-being of poor students under the post-matric scholarship scheme are now facing several health ailments. He mentioned that this money is now being spent on their treatment in hospitals, as they face the wrath of the Almighty. He said these former rulers of the state were completely insensitive to the problems of the common man. He remarked that the convent-educated leaders of previous governments never bothered to improve the level of education in the state, adding that the sole reason for this was that their own children studied in big private schools in the hills, while only the children of the common man attended government schools. In contrast, Mann said his government has been focusing on transforming the lives of the common people by providing them with quality education. SGPC committee meet on June 12 The meeting of the executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which was earlier scheduled for June 9, will now be held on June 12, informed SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan in a release issued here on late Sunday said the meeting was postponed due to some important engagements and will be held on June 12 at 12 noon. He also informed that on the same day, at 3 pm, a meeting of the Dharam Parchar Committee will also be held. Mann reiterates Rs 67.8cr loan waiver CM Bhagwant Mann also reiterated his govt's move to waive loans amounting to Rs 67.84 crore disbursed by the Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development & Finance Corporation (PSCFC) up to March 31, 2020, benefiting approximately 4,800 families. While addressing a gathering during a function to hand over certificates of loan waiver to the beneficiaries on Sunday, Mann said the waiver covered all loans disbursed by the PSCFC up to the mentioned date, offering significant relief to SC and divyangjan (persons with disabilities) loanees.
The Print
08-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
SGPC hits back after Punjab CM Mann says Akalis reduced it to ‘Shiromani Golak' committee
The remarks not only reflect Mann's 'intellectual bankruptcy, but also exposes his arrogance and shallow understanding', Dhami said. Condemning Mann for his remarks, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami called them 'baseless, deeply hurtful to Sikh sentiments, and a blatant insult to the Sikh Panth's highest religious institution'. Amritsar, June 8 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday accused Akali leaders of reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to 'Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee out of their greed for money'. Addressing a public gathering here, Mann alleged that the Badals 'misused' their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including 'manipulating the appointment of Jathedars of the Akal Takht to suit their personal interests'. 'Driven by financial motives, the Akalis have degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains,' Mann alleged. The chief minister also accused the Akali leaders of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, to 'deceive the public and serve their own agendas'. 'The Akalis looted not only the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions. Its tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, which caused significant harm to Punjab,' Mann said. 'The Akali leadership symbolised a legacy where the poor were neglected while the powerful looted the state with impunity,' he added. The Akalis 'exploited' the underprivileged and weaker sections of society, Mann alleged, adding that 'they are now facing the consequences of their actions'. Mann also claimed that the people of Punjab will never forgive the Akalis for the 'crimes' committed against the state and its residents. Assailing the traditional political parties for remaining 'insensitive' towards the welfare of economically weaker and underprivileged sections, Mann said these 'selfish' leaders always treated the Schedule Caste (SC) brethren merely as their vote banks. 'As rulers, the Akalis were completely insensitive towards the problems of the common man. They always treated the SC community as vote banks,' Mann claimed. Training his guns at his predecessors, the chief minister claimed they built huge palaces by 'amassing whopping wealth by misusing their official positions'. 'The Akali leaders remained inaccessible to the people due to which they were ousted,' Mann said. PTI COR CHS ARI This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
SGPC hits back after Punjab CM Mann says Akalis reduced it to 'Shiromani Golak' committee
Amritsar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday accused Akali leaders of reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to 'Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee out of their greed for money'. Condemning Mann for his remarks, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami called them 'baseless, deeply hurtful to Sikh sentiments, and a blatant insult to the Sikh Panth's highest religious institution'. The remarks not only reflect Mann's "intellectual bankruptcy, but also exposes his arrogance and shallow understanding', Dhami said. Addressing a public gathering here, Mann alleged that the Badals "misused" their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including "manipulating the appointment of Jathedars of the Akal Takht to suit their personal interests". 'Driven by financial motives, the Akalis have degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains," Mann alleged. The chief minister also accused the Akali leaders of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, to "deceive the public and serve their own agendas'. 'The Akalis looted not only the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions. Its tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, which caused significant harm to Punjab,' Mann said. 'The Akali leadership symbolised a legacy where the poor were neglected while the powerful looted the state with impunity,' he added. The Akalis "exploited" the underprivileged and weaker sections of society, Mann alleged, adding that 'they are now facing the consequences of their actions'. Mann also claimed that the people of Punjab will never forgive the Akalis for the "crimes" committed against the state and its residents. Assailing the traditional political parties for remaining "insensitive" towards the welfare of economically weaker and underprivileged sections, Mann said these "selfish" leaders always treated the Schedule Caste brethren merely as their vote banks. 'As rulers, the Akalis were completely insensitive towards the problems of the common man. They always treated the SC community as vote banks,' Mann claimed. Training his guns at his predecessors, the chief minister claimed they built huge palaces by "amassing whopping wealth by misusing their official positions". 'The Akali leaders remained inaccessible to the people due to which they were ousted,' Mann said.
Hindustan Times
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Akalis reduced SGPC to 'Shiromani Golak' committee: Punjab CM Mann
Amritsar, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday accused Akali leaders of reducing the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to 'Shiromani Golak Parbandhak Committee out of their greed for money'. Addressing a public gathering here, Mann alleged that the Badals "misused" their political power to interfere in religious affairs, including "manipulating the appointment of Jathedars of the Akal Takht to suit their personal interests". 'Driven by financial motives, the Akalis have degraded the sanctity of the SGPC and misused it and the Akal Takht for narrow political gains," Mann alleged. The chief minister also accused the Akali leaders of twisting the directives of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, to "deceive the public and serve their own agendas'. 'The Akalis looted not only the state exchequer but also funds belonging to religious institutions. Its tenure was marked by political and religious exploitation, which caused significant harm to Punjab,' Mann said. 'The Akali leadership symbolised a legacy where the poor were neglected while the powerful looted the state with impunity,' he added. The Akalis "exploited" the underprivileged and weaker sections of society, Mann alleged, adding that 'they are now facing the consequences of their actions'. Mann also claimed that the people of Punjab will never forgive the Akalis for the "crimes" committed against the state and its residents. Assailing the traditional political parties for remaining "insensitive" towards the welfare of economically weaker and underprivileged sections, Mann said these "selfish" leaders always treated the Schedule Caste brethren merely as their vote banks. 'As rulers, the Akalis were completely insensitive towards the problems of the common man. They always treated the SC community as vote banks,' Mann claimed. Training his guns at his predecessors, the chief minister claimed they built huge palaces by "amassing whopping wealth by misusing their official positions". 'The Akali leaders remained inaccessible to the people due to which they were ousted,' Mann said.
