Amritsar, Feb 22: Asignificant escalation of the ongoing rift within the top Sikh religious leadership – Darbar Sahib Head Granthi and former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh today served a 72-hour counter-ultimatum to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The move follows a previous notice issued by the religious body on February 19, which had directed the Head Granthi to provide evidence for his public claims regarding financial irregularities.
Giani Raghbir Singh stated in a video message that his actions were a fulfillment of his religious duty to speak the truth to the community. He asserted that the SGPC must now provide a transparent reply to the specific points of corruption he raised during a media briefing in Jalandhar earlier this week. The former Jathedar maintained that he became aware of the SGPC’s initial notice through social media platforms, as he was traveling outside of Punjab when the document was released.
The Head Granthi declared that he possesses substantial documentary evidence to back every allegation he has leveled against the committee and the Badal family. He affirmed that his struggle is not a personal vendetta against any individual but a necessary step to protect the sanctity of the panthic institutions. “I have raised relevant facts before the public and I will not hesitate to share the complete truth with the Sangat,” Giani Raghbir Singh asserted.
Addressing the internal conduct of the committee, the Head Granthi noted that it was contradictory for the organization to issue notices to whistleblowers while its own leadership had previously admitted to administrative lapses. He maintained that when the “SGPC pradhan” himself had apologized to the community for past irregularities, the committee lacked the moral ground to question those seeking transparency.
