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Akal Takht jathedar tells Badal to sack SGPC chief

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Puran Singh today directed chief minister and Akali Dal-Badal president Parkash Singh Badal to immediately sack Bibi Jagir Kaur from the presidentship of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

''As Bibi has refused to appear before the Akal Takht and had yesterday shown utter disrespect to this high institution, she should be sacked from the SGPC,'' the directive issued by the jathedar in Amritsar on the letterhead of the Akal Takht said. The directive has been faxed to the chief minister's office at Chandigarh.

As per the directive, the jathedar has also asked Badal to immediately remove the ex-communicated jathedars of Takht Keshgarh Sahib Prof Manjit Singh and Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Kewal Singh and appoint acting jathedars in their place.

The jathedar also demanded the removal of Akal Takht head granthi Giani Bhagwan Singh, who too was ex-communicated by the jathedar yesterday along with Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh for having questioned his ''hukamnama'',

Badal, in his capacity as president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, which controls the SGPC, should immediately appoint an acting president of the SGPC in place of Bibi Jagir Kaur, Giani Puran Singh says in his directive.

''You and your close confidants did make a great deal of effort to persuade Bibi Jagir Kaur to appear before the Akal Takht, but Bibi has let you down and gone against your wishes,'' the jathedar said.

He asked Badal to once again try to persuade Bibi Jagir Kaur to appear before the Akal Takht and seek atonement for her ''sin'' of having challenged the Akal Takht on the issue of Nanakshahi almanac, which led to her ex-communication.

Giani Puran Singh also directed Badal to ensure that Bibi Jagir Kaur and all three ex-communicated priests were boycotted socially.

With particular reference to Bibi Jagir Kaur, the Jathedar asked Badal not to allow her to attend any of his party and SGPC meetings.

''An ex-communicated Sikh cannot enter the Akal Takht, but yesterday Bibi forced her entry and once again denigrated this high institution.''

This directive of the jathedar follows the warning he had issued on March 4, directing all Panthic leaders to socially boycott Bibi Jagir Kaur till she sought pardon from the Akal Takht.

UNI

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