Giani Harpreet Singh interview: ‘Someone within the party wants to damage Sukhbir Badal’

In an interrogation with The Indian Express Tuesday, Harpreet Singh talked astir the contention implicit the December 2, 2024, determination connected the atonement of SAD president Sukhbir Badal and others who were declared religiously guilty, the process of the determination taken and his plans.

Edited excerpts:

Q. What is your defence connected the allegations against you isolated from denying them?

Giani Harpreet Singh: The allegations were made to assassinate my character. The astir important happening is that SGPC conducted a probe into these allegations successful 2008 arsenic well. A probe committee was formed, and questioned not lone maine but besides my neighbours, relatives, friends, and colleagues. I was absolved from these allegations. Then I was made Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar and fixed complaint arsenic acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib. Would SGPC person offered maine specified posts if they recovered adjacent an iota of information successful these allegations? SGPC denied these allegations successful the archetypal place. These fake allegations are not the reasons but an excuse to region me.

Q. What is your struggle with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and SGPC about?

Giani Harpreet Singh: What I person understood truthful acold is that idiosyncratic from wrong the SAD wants to harm Sukhbir Singh Badal. There has not been a azygous determination that has been taken for the bully of the enactment successful caller times. I don’t cognize if Sukhbir Singh Badal is incapable to recognize it oregon if helium can’t bash overmuch astir it. Who told the enactment that it should spell against the Akal Takht Sahib? Can you explicate however my removal oregon not moving the rank thrust according to Akal Takht Sahib’s directions benefits the enactment oregon Sukhbir Singh Badal?

Some leaders claiming to beryllium successful favour of Sukhbir Singh Badal built a communicative successful beforehand that decisions from the Akal Takht would extremity Sukhbir politically. Were they making crushed for the governmental assassination of Sukhbir? Were they trying to enactment ideas into the people’s minds that Sukhbir would beryllium finished politically with immoderate determination Akal Takht would take?

Q. But the allegation against you is that the December 2 pronouncement from Sri Akal Takht Sahib was to harm Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Giani Harpreet Singh: What Sukhbir Singh Badal and different leaders confessed earlier Sri Akal Takht Sahib should person been done agelong ago. But they tried to debar it and contested galore elections. In each election, their ballot percent went down. The enactment came to a constituent wherever immoderate elder leaders rebelled. What Sukhbir Singh Badal and others confessed to Sri Akal Takht Sahib was already known. There was thing new. But the assemblage forgives erstwhile idiosyncratic confesses with axenic bosom and pursuing Akal Takht Sahib’s orders would person benefited the party. It was to revive the enactment and not to destruct it.

A bulk of the members successful the seven-member committee that Akal Takht formed to commencement a rank thrust were from the SAD itself. These members were not from Pakistan. Only 1 of the members was a rebel. If they don’t spot SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, 1 of its 2 MLAs Manpreet Singh Ayali, Iqbal Singh Jhunda who was enactment campaigner successful Sangrur, erstwhile SGPC president and Parkash Singh Badal’s adjacent confidant Kirpal Singh Bandugar past however tin they blasted anyone else? All these committee members are those who worked for the SAD each their lives — but a pistillate subordinate who comes from a respected household successful the community. The enactment has present committed a sedate mistake by lasting against Akal Takht Sahib’s directions. Akal Takht ne'er takes decisions with a vendetta. It is ever for reconciliation and successful bully faith.

Q. Giani Raghbir Singh is Akal Takht Jathedar. But the allegations are that you were the designer of the pronouncement.

Giani Harpreet Singh: Decisions astatine Akal Takht Sahib are ever taken unanimously. It was not conscionable maine oregon Giani Raghbir Singh. There is ever a assemblage of 5 astatine the Akal Takht and if adjacent 1 of them objects, a determination cannot beryllium reached. All the different 4 members of the assemblage person precocious integrity and credibility. At the extremity of the day, we each were technically employees of SGPC. The SAD controls SGPC. But astatine that time, we were serving the almighty and we lone fearfulness the Guru. So, calling maine the designer of the determination taken connected December 2 is childish.

Q. If each assemblage members took this decision, wherefore are you the lone 1 who is being targeted?

Giani Harpreet Singh: I enjoyed precise bully relations with the erstwhile SGPC president Kirpal Singh Bandugar, Gobind Singh Longowal, and Bibi Jagir Kaur. The alteration successful the narration came erstwhile Harjinder Singh Dhami became the president successful 2022. I utilized to constitute letters to the SGPC president connected assorted issues. When Dhami came, Akal Takht was asked to not constitute letters straight to Dhami but to his PA. Slowly, SGPC stopped replying to communication. In the meantime, the coordination with SAD was besides spoiled by immoderate people. I don’t cognize what happened, and a fewer radical successful SAD started targeting me. I deliberation the existent developments are besides successful the aforesaid league.

Q. Has Sukhbir Singh Badal ever called you and asked to bash thing and you declined?

Giani Harpreet Singh: Yes, it happened connected 2 oregon 3 occasions that helium called maine to bash thing and I declined. But each time, astatine a aboriginal stage, Sukhbir Singh Badal admitted that I was close successful not doing what helium had asked. Sukhbir wanted maine to summon Delhi Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee President Harmeet Singh Kalka implicit his governmental quality with the SAD. I told Sukhbir Singh Badal that it wouldn’t beryllium close for Akal Takht to summon 1 faction implicit a governmental dispute. Sukhbir Singh Badal aboriginal told maine that it was close for maine to not summon Kalka. I had amended coordination with Sukhbir Singh Badal earlier Dhami became president. Earlier, helium utilized to instrumentality my proposal connected spiritual matters.

Q. You person alleged that Jathedars are often removed unceremoniously. But you were besides made Akal Takht Jathedar done the aforesaid system.

Giani Harpreet Singh: Initially, I was made Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar. I had declined erstwhile it was announced that I would person complaint arsenic acting Jathedar of Akal Takht successful 2018. I instantly called then-president Gobind Singh Longowal that I was not acceptable for this. Because cipher wanted to instrumentality complaint astatine Akal Takht Sahib successful those circumstances. I knew that SGPC had offered galore large personalities and scholars to go Jathedar but each had declined owed to harm erstwhile Jatehdar Gurbachan Singh caused to the post.

The Akal Takht tin ne'er beryllium harmed but the presumption of Jathedar was severely harmed astatine that clip due to the fact that of the manners successful which Dera Sirsa’s caput was pardoned. So, I was besides not ready. But past galore SGPC members came to maine and requested maine to judge the post. When I took charge, radical were sending bangles successful station to Jathedar. This was however atrocious the concern was. Many Jathedars were removed earlier me. Because arsenic a Jatehdar, you person to enactment for the assemblage and not for a leader. I gave the connection that SAD has go the enactment of landlords. It was a enactment of poor, moving class, farmers, and labourers. Maybe specified statements went against me.

Q. So were you, too, made a Jatehdar without immoderate criteria?

Giani Harpreet Singh: There is nary criteria. Former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti had made a draught connected making criteria for the enactment of Jathedars, and submitted it to SGPC successful 2008. Immediately aft taking implicit complaint of Akal Takht Jatehdar, I sent a reminder to SGPC and asked it to enactment connected the draught to marque a rule. I sent the 2nd reminder successful 2022. But idiosyncratic wants to support each the powers of appointments successful their pocket.

Q. When did you past speech to Giani Raghbir Singh? He rejected the SGPC probe against you and accepted your clarification. Do you deliberation helium volition basal by that?

Giani Harpreet Singh: I talked to him today. I tin recognize that helium indispensable beryllium nether immense unit and I don’t privation to enactment Jathedar Sahib successful a choky spot by making immoderate comment. I tin recognize his presumption arsenic I besides worked connected the aforesaid post. He was besides threatened. All parties person IT wings. But the benignant of abusive connection that the SAD IT helping utilized against Jathedar has nary parallels. If the SAD volition not respect Jathedars past should we expect the Congress, BJP oregon AAP to bash that? Sikh authorities was based connected ethics. But those morals are not determination successful Sikh politicians immoderate more. Personal interests are much important for politicians than the community.

Q. You attended the weddings of Raghav Chaddha and erstwhile CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s son. You met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It was taken arsenic an offence by the SAD.

Giani Harpreet Singh: Not conscionable the SAD but a fewer radical started objecting to my meetings with leaders of different parties. AAP person and Punjabi Hindu Raghav’s household organised a spiritual relation for his wedding truthful I indispensable attend. Women recited the Sukhmani Sahib (Sikh scripture) astatine the wedding. There was thing incorrect with it. If Akali leaders tin be the wedding ceremonies of Congress and BJP leaders past what is incorrect successful attending the wedding of Charanjit Singh Channi’s son? I met Amit Shah to sermon assemblage issues. They made an contented retired of it.

Q. Don’t you think, amid this warfare betwixt Sikh personalities and Sikh institutions, the assemblage would suffer?

Giani Harpreet Singh: It is true. In my archetypal years, I restored the credibility of a Jathedar’s post. Many Sikh organisations had stopped reaching retired to Jathedars. After I took charge, dilatory astir each the organisations restored their transportation with Jathedar. During my overseas tours, it besides helped Akali leaders reconnect with people. Then we worked connected galore things including the thought of establishing a Sikh Education Board, a Sikh bank, and Khalsa currency. We were moving connected galore things and past I was removed.

Q. Are you going to articulation politics?

Giani Harpreet Singh: Politics is not my subject. My taxable is religion and I volition enactment successful that direction. I person completed my PhD work. I person learned however to behaviour probe and person published probe papers. I volition not implicit the formalities to taxable it astatine Punjabi University… But I volition decidedly people my work.