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High court grants stay on ex-SGPC chief Bibi Kaur's arrest

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday granted a stay on the arrest of former president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee and sitting MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur.

The Punjab police had on November 8 registered a case against the ex-SGPC chief for stealing power at her dera in village Bagowal.

Alleging that the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh was harassing SGPC members loyal to Badal, Jagir Kaur said though the raids for power theft were conducted in 300 premises, the case was registered to prevent her from participating in the SGPC polls.

"In spite of depositing a penalty of Rs 45,000 for the alleged theft, the police registered a case against me," she said.

Condemning the entry of the police in the Golden Temple complex, Kaur accused the government of recreating the 1984 atmosphere.

Kaur said there was a "murder of democracy" in Punjab and the state government was interfering in religious affairs of the Sikhs.

The additional sessions judge fixed November 14 for hearing the arguments on Kaur's bail application.

The Union Chemical and Fertilisers Minister, S S Dhindsa, has described the stay order as a 'slap on the face' of Amarinder Singh.

He has demanded the resignation of the chief minister for sending the police into the Golden Temple complex.

Dhindsa told rediff.com that Amarinder Singh was acting like a dictator and was desperate to dislodge and prevent Shiromani Akali Dal nominees from getting elected as the functionaries of the SGPC.

A National Democratic Alliance committee, including Union minister Sahib Singh Verma, will accompany a 106-member group of SGPC from Delhi to Amritsar on a chartered flight on Monday.

P C Thomas alongwith B D'Souza and Tarlochan Singh of the National Commission for Minorities have been asked to be present in Amritsar.

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