Punjab: Mann slams SGPC chief for proudly calling himself soldier of Sukhbir Badal

Majitha (Punjab), Jan 18 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday slammed SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, alleging he takes pride in calling himself a soldier of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who "ruined" the state.

Addressing a gathering here, Mann said it was unfortunate that instead of focusing on his primary responsibilities, the SGPC president was busy making arrangements for political rallies.

"Instead of calling himself a soldier of Guru Gobind Singh ji, he proudly calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal. What good can be expected from such a person, who takes pride in serving someone who ruined Punjab with his every move," he alleged.

The Punjab CM was here to lay the foundation stone for 23 rural link roads worth Rs 11.32 crore.

While addressing, he also spoke on missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib and said it was due to the "misdeeds" of the Akalis and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that the state government was compelled to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the missing 328 'saroops'.

"Our only objective is to trace the missing saroops. We have no intention of interfering in religious institutions," he said.

Without naming anyone, Mann, in his address, said, "Earlier, this area lived under constant fear. A self-proclaimed 'jarnail' of the region used false cases as a weapon against ordinary people. With deep connections in both Congress and Akali governments, he unleashed a reign of terror, and people were afraid to speak." Mann said that this fear has now completely vanished, as people have rejected the politics of intimidation pursued by the Majithia and Badal families. He, however, warned that bringing the Akali Dal back to power would mean dragging Punjab back into a dark era.

Reiterating the supremacy of the Akal Takht, Mann said, "Sri Akal Takht Sahib is above all of us. That is why I did not attend the function of the President of India and chose instead to appear before the Takht." He said, unlike his government, the Akalis have repeatedly undermined the authority of the Akal Takht — the highest temporal seat of Sikhs — by appointing and removing jathedars "at their whims." On January 15, Mann appeared before the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar after being summoned by the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs for his alleged remarks about Sikh traditions and tenets and submitted his clarification.

During his address, Mann also announced that AAP leader Talbir Singh Gill will be the AAP's candidate from Majitha in the 2027 Assembly elections.

"The time has come for the people of Majitha to move beyond submitting demand letters and start taking decisions themselves," Mann said, asserting that AAP represents a new politics where people are not petitioners before power but partners in governance.

At present, Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia's wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia is an MLA from Majitha.

Highlighting initiatives of his government, Mann said, "After assuming office in March 2022, our first decision was to provide free electricity to 90 per cent of households." He said farmers are now receiving uninterrupted power supply, sparing them from venturing out on freezing nights to irrigate their fields.

The CM said special attention is being paid to the welfare of border residents, whom he described as true patriots.

"In a major relief to farmers in the border belt, the central government has given in-principle approval to shift the border fence closer to the international border," he said, adding that this would allow unhindered cultivation of thousands of acres currently lying beyond the fencing.

He said he had raised the issue with the Union Home Minister, pointing out the daily hardships faced by farmers who were forced to cross the fence under BSF escort to reach their own fields along the India-Pakistan border. PTI JMS CHS AMJ AMJ