Top Sikh body snubs Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh over ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ call
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has slammed Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh over his recent ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (grand assembly) calls on social media and made it clear that it was only the prerogative of the Akal Takht jathedar (chief) to give such call of congregation after discussion with concerning Sikh community.
The top Sikh body’s rejoinder came days after the fugitive Waris Punjab De chief, in his two video messages, asked Akal Takht to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (Sikh religious congregation) and take out a ‘Khalsa Vaheer’ (religious procession) from the Akal Takht in Amritsar to the Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.
“It is personal wish of Amritpal Singh…. To call or not to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ is the sole prerogative of Akal Takht jathedar and no one else,” news agency PTI quoted SGPC General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal as saying.
Furthermore, Grewal said that since the jathedar is leading the Sikh community, he takes each decision with deep thought followed by the opinions of Sikh scholars and intellectuals.
“The jathedar would see what needs to be done in the light of prevailing circumstances…. There is no doubt that many Sikhs who are close to Amritpal Singh were arrested under the National Security Act, which is also a matter of grave concern, he added.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has slammed Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh over his recent ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (grand assembly) calls on social media and made it clear that it was only the prerogative of the Akal Takht jathedar (chief) to give such call of congregation after discussion with concerning Sikh community.
Top Sikh body snubs Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh over ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ call© Provided by India Today
The top Sikh body’s rejoinder came days after the fugitive Waris Punjab De chief, in his two video messages, asked Akal Takht to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (Sikh religious congregation) and take out a ‘Khalsa Vaheer’ (religious procession) from the Akal Takht in Amritsar to the Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.
SGPC SNUBS AMRITPAL SINGH
“It is personal wish of Amritpal Singh…. To call or not to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ is the sole prerogative of Akal Takht jathedar and no one else,” news agency PTI quoted SGPC General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal as saying.
Furthermore, Grewal said that since the jathedar is leading the Sikh community, he takes each decision with deep thought followed by the opinions of Sikh scholars and intellectuals.
“The jathedar would see what needs to be done in the light of prevailing circumstances…. There is no doubt that many Sikhs who are close to Amritpal Singh were arrested under the National Security Act, which is also a matter of grave concern, he added.
AMRITPAL SINGH INCITES SIKH COMMUNITY
Earlier this week, Amritpal Singh requested the jathedar of the Akal Takht to call Sarbat Khalsa to discuss issues to save Punjab on Baisakhi (April 13) and said he “is not yet arrested”.
“I have urged the jathedar to call the Sarbat Khalsa. Call the Sarbat Khalsa, and prove that you are the jathedar,” Amritpal Singh said in an unverified audio clip that surfaced lately on social media.
“If we are going to play politics even today, doing the same things we used to do earlier, then what’s the point of being a jathedar in the future. We should understand that today is the time for the entire community to come together,” he said as he called for Sikh unity.
