The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, September 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Ultimatum to Vedanti, Manjit
Khalsa Panchayat wants Jathedars to quit
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Akal Takht Jathedar, addresses a Press conference at Akal Takht on Monday.

Prof Manjit Singh, Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar, held a separate Press conference at Akal Takht on Monday.
— Photos Rajiv Sharma

Amritsar, September 2
The Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat (SKP) served a 10-day ultimatum to Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of Akal Takht, and Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Kesgarh Sahib, to resign from their respective posts.

The SKP threatened to stage a dharna in front of the official residences of both jathedars and the SGPC office if they failed to resign on moral grounds in the wake of the confessional statement of Baba Dhanwant Singh, Chairman, Noor Vishav Ruhani Trust, before his interrogators that he had “illicit relations” with at least six women, including two college girls. Baba Dhanwant Singh had reportedly told his interrogators that he had paid Rs 70,000 to Mr Prithipal Singh Sandhu, former personal assistant and close relative of Jathedar Vedanti for “absolving” him of the rape charge.

Dismissing the charges of bribery, Jathedar Vedanti described the police theory as a deep-rooted conspiracy allegedly hatched by the state government to denigrate Akal Takht.

Jathedar Vedanti announced that the members of the SKP who had levelled serious charges against the Sikh clergy at the behest of the state government were not “true” Sikhs. He said Akal Takht had learnt that they (SKP) had been working as “agents of government agencies and their single motive was to lower the prestige of Akal Takht and the Sikh high priests for vested interests”.

Taking a strong stand, Jathedar Vedanti said that Sikh clergy would not allow protest dharnas as proposed by the SKP since there was no such precedent in Sikh history.

However, Prof Manjit Singh while talking to the press said that he and Jathedar Vedanti were ready to tender their resignations if the SGPC (which is the appointing authority of the Sikh high priests) desired so.

Earlier, the members of the Khalsa Panchayat, including Mr Rajinder Singh and Mr Charnjit Singh Channi, appeared before the Sikh clerics at Akal Takht. The Sikh high priests told the SKP to submit concrete proof; if any, regarding the bribe given to Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC chief.

On other hand, Prof Manjit Singh said the SKP had failed to produce the victim (the girl who was reportedly raped by Baba Dhanwant Singh at his dera about one and a half years ago).

However, in a written press note, the SKP said it was for the first time that a victim who had first approached Akal Takht had to knock the doors of the court when Sikh high priests failed to deliver justice. The SKP alleged that the Sikh high priests (Jathedar Vedanti and Prof Manjit Singh) had been ‘misleading’ the Sikh Panth ever since the petition was filed before Akal Takht on behalf of the rape victim. Mr Prithipal Singh Sandhu, the then personal assistant to Jathedar Vedanti, was included in the ‘third inquiry committee’ which was probing charges of corruption against him (Mr Sandhu).

The SKP said that it was the moral duty of Jathedar Vedanti and Prof Manjit Singh to resign from their respective posts after the confessional statement of Baba Dhanwant Singh that he had illicit relations with at least six women.

Describing Jathedar Vedanti and Prof Manjit Singh as “criminal jathedars”, the SKP announced that it would offer prayers at all the Takhts so that Sikh Panth could get “rid of them”.