M A I N   N E W S

Takht not to summon Kamaljit
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Oct 27 — Even as some pro-Bibi Jagir Kaur members submitted a memorandum to Akal Takht Jathedar for taking strict action against her political rivals today, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti ruled out the possibility of summoning Kamaljit Singh (who claimed to have married Harpreet Kaur), his parents Mr Darshan Singh and Balwinder Kaur, Mr Sukhjinder Singh, a former Akali minister and his son Mr Sukhpal Singh Khera, PPCC secretary at Akal Takht.

Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti said that he could not summon “everybody” to Akal Takht by entertaining every complaint submitted to him. He said he had studied an earlier memorandum submitted by panches and sarpanches and other dignitaries who met him at the Akal Takht secretariat.

He also ruled out the possibility of obliging the detractors of Bibi Jagir Kaur who are demanding her resignation. In a categorical statement, Giani Joginder Singh said Akal Takht could not take up any complaint against the SGPC chief till the CBI completed its inquiry.

He said all of us must wait for completion of the legal process so far as the issue of “Harpreet Kaur” was concerned before demanding initiation of any action by Akal Takht. He also appealed to the media not to sensationalise such sensitive cases.

He said he would go through the memorandum submitted by pro-Bibi SGPC members today before commenting on it. 17 SGPC members have signed the memorandum eight of whom were present when it was submitted to the Akal Takht Jathedar.

Those who met the Jathedar at Akal Takht secretariat included Mr Harsurinder Singh Gill, Mr Bakshish Singh Dharowal, Mr Kuldip Singh Dhos, Mr Satpal Singh Talwandi Bhai, Mr Jang Bahadur Singh, Mr Dayal Singh Kolianwali, Mr Joga Singh Phagowal and Mr Chetan Singh Samaon.

Interestingly a few days ago the press release issued by a personal assistant to the SGPC chief had claimed that about 100 SGPC members and expressed solidarity with Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Giani Joginder Singh had to wait for two hours for the SGPC members until 3.30 p.m. He was told that they would submit the memorandum at 1.30 p.m.

The memorandum urges the Jathedar to initiate action against the political rivals of Bibi Jagir Kaur, including Mr Sukhjinder Singh and his son Mr Sukhpal Singh for deriving political mileage out of the ‘natural death’ of her daughter Harpreet Kaur.

On the other hand, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former ex-minister said instead of approaching the Akal Takht, SGPC members should force Bibi Jagir Kaur to submit her resignation at the earliest. He said SGPC members should remove Bibi Jagir Kaur as the SGPC chief by performing their constitutional obligations”. Mr Calcutta said it was part of the written history of the Shiromani Akali Dal and SGPC that any chief against whom a case was registered had tendered their resignations immediately.

Mr Calcutta, who is also a confidant of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, said he would urge him (Mr Tohra) to call a convention of the Sant Samaj and representatives of various religious bodies to take stock of the present religious scenario where Akal Takht was being denigrated again and again by Mr Parkash Singh, Bibi Jagir Kaur and their supporters.