Parminder Dhindsa, Jagir Kaur submit clarifications at Akal Takht

In compliance of the Akal Takht directives, the former ministers of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Bibi Jagir Kaur (both in the rebel camp and expelled), and Sohan Singh Thandal appeared at the Akal Takht, separately, and submitted their written clarifications on Monday.

Dhindsa was a minister in the decade-long SAD-BJP tenure—Minister for PWD during 2007-2012 and Minister for Finance and Planning in the next term 2012-2017.

Refraining from commenting over the issue, he said the aim of launching the ‘SAD Sudhar Lehar’ was to ‘strengthen’ the party and revive its original principles.

“We are committed towards the Akal Takht. As per directions, I have submitted my clarification and would wait for Akal Takht’s verdict,” he said.

A day prior to their appearance at the Akal Takht, both Dhindsa and Kaur had resigned from the presidium of the ‘SAD Sudhar Lehar,’ stating they intended to come as ‘humble’ Sikhs.

Bibi Jagir Kaur, the former president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in 1999, 2004 and 2020, was the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister for a short span during 2012-2017 term.

Kaur said she was sworn in as minister on March 14, 2012 and resigned on March 30, 2012. Kaur said though she was the SAD core committee member, none of these issues were ever discussed.

“I was the minister for just 16 days in 2012. During this period none of these controversial moves that were, at present, under consideration at the Akal Takht, came into being. I was never the part of any discussion or decision of these moves ever. That’s what I have clarified with the Akal Takht,” she said.

When asked about the 2015 controversial exoneration of Dera Sirsa cult and later on the mammoth amount spent by SGPC on justifying it, Kaur said she had gained the primary membership of the SGPC then, but the members were never consulted.

“It was the SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar then, who in consultation with the executive members took decisions. No member was ever part of it,” she said.

Kaur said she was expelled from the SAD twice due to internal party conflict, yet always stood for the issues pertaining to the Panth.

Accompanied by other ‘likeminded’ Akalis, Dhindsa and Kaur were part of the group that had approached the Akal Takht on July 1 with the ‘admittance of guilt’, for being part of the ‘mistakes’ committed by SAD headed by the then Deputy CM and home minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

On the other hand, Thandal, the former minister for Jails, Tourism and Culture, said he was still the part of the SAD, and has come to submit his reply.

He said some mistakes could have been committed ‘knowingly or unknowingly’ during the SAD’s tenure. We are bound to accept the verdict of the Akal Takht.