Amritsar, November 10
Even as five more pro-Badal SGPC members may be restrained from functioning or performing duty as members tomorrow, at least 50 cases are still pending in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.
Though eight fresh cases have been filed against members loyal to Mr Tohra recently, yet the commission is unlikely to disqualify them on the pretext that they could not be settled due to paucity of time.
Though the petitions filed against the SGPC chief, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, and Bibi Jagir Kaur are of a serious nature, yet the commission will not take action against them as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the commission to refrain from passing any order against the petitioners (Mr Badungar and Bibi Jagir Kaur, who had filed petitions in the court apprehending action by the commission).
It is after a long gap that the rival Akali leaders have filed a plethora of complaints in the commission by levelling serious charges of corruption, apart from accusing each other of violating Sikh tenets. Old timers said whenever there were high stakes for the SGPC elections, a number of cases were filed against members by their rivals. In the past, a number of cases were filed when Sant Fateh Singh and Master Tara Singh were at loggerheads.
Later, during the chief ministership of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, a number of cases were filed by exploiting the weaknesses of members. History was repeated when Mr Prem Singh Lalpura was fielded for the coveted post of SGPC chief against Mr Tohra.
Some charges levelled in the petitions are so serious that a common Sikh would feel ashamed for having elected trustees (SGPC members) during the general elections of the committee. In one petition, a complainant had attached a photograph showing an SGPC member, Mr Mukhtiar Singh Bhagta, in an inebriated state.
The allegation levelled in one of the petitions that a son of a senior SGPC member had purchased “dry rotis” from a gurdwara would hang a common man’s head in shame.
The common Sikh is disturbed to learn that some members have been accused of claiming double TA/DA from Sikh shrines though they are elected by the Sikh Sangat to manage them as per Sikh maryada.
Bibi Jagir Kaur, a former SGPC chief, tops the list of SGPC members against whom at least seven cases are pending in the judicial commission. She is followed by Mr Badungar (with five cases) and Mr Tohra (four cases). A case is also pending against Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, a former SGPC chief.
