Don’t bow to SAD pressure in Sukhbir case: Faridkot MP to Akal Takht Jathedar

Ahead of a meeting of five Sikh high priests, which is slated for December 2, Faridkot MP Sarbjeet Singh Khalsa and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s father Tarsem Singh today met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. They asked him to take the decision on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali leaders, who were indicted for bringing political and religious crisis, without any fear and in line with the authority and sanctity of the Akal Takht and Sikh ‘Rehat Maryada’.

Khalsa said they were compelled to meet the Jathedar after learning that undue pressure was being mounted on Takht Jathedars so that they soften their stand on Sukhbir and other Akali leaders. He alleged that not only the family of Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, some miscreants, at the behest of Akalis, had been doing recce of the children of Giani Raghbir Singh too.

“All eyes are on Akal Takht’s decision. Our purpose of meeting the Jathedar was to reaffirm that the Sikh community was standing by him and other Takht Jathedars. Being the occupant of the highest Sikh temporal seat, he should not bow to the pressure,” he said.

Tarsem Singh said the existing SAD leadership was incapable of representing the Sikhs. “Pressure tactics like ‘mass resignation drama’ or foregoing bypoll contest are being used by Akali workers. We have urged the Jathedar to desist from taking any move that was unacceptable to the Sikh community. People have rejected the existing Akali leadership because of ‘shameful’ decisions taken for political gains during its term in alliance with the BJP, be it pardoning the Dera Sirsa head, mishandling sacrilege incidents or deputing tainted officials on top police positions. The last Lok Sabha elections were testament to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, they submitted a letter with the Jathedar urging him to withdraw the ‘Fakhr-e-Qaum’ title conferred on former CM Parkash Singh Badal.