AAP leader Baltej Pannu accused SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami of acting for Akali Dal and evading questions on missing Saroops.
Harjinder Singh Dhami, the president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), was sharply criticized by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu for allegedly speaking on behalf of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) rather than standing up for justice, truth, and the Guru Sahib.
In response to Harjinder Singh Dhami’s press conference in Chandigarh the day before, Baltej Pannu stated that Dhami had stated he wanted to use the media to present his perspective to the public. The political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) sent out the invitation for Harjinder Singh Dhami’s news conference. Dhami Sahib frequently claims that he is accused of being a spokesperson for the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). He acknowledged it himself yesterday, stating that he is honored to serve in the Akali Dal. “It would have been preferable if he had been a Guru Sahib soldier,” said Baltej Pannu.
Pannu strongly disagreed with Harjinder Singh Dhami’s assertion that the SGPC does not require the police and does not accept FIRs, claiming that this was utterly false. The SGPC was established by an Act, a piece of legislation. The Deputy Commissioner must grant permission for SGPC to hold its general house in Amritsar. He questioned, “How can you say you don’t believe in FIRs or police?”
Baltej Pannu mentioned several occasions in which the SGPC itself made contact with law enforcement. He cited a formal complaint filed against Tek Singh Dhanaula, who was recently appointed as a Jathedar, by a former SGPC Secretary. “A section 420 FIR was filed, and an arrest was made as well. FIRs are therefore appropriate when the SGPC requires them,” he stated.
Also read: Punjab Police Arrest 94 Drug Smugglers in 309th Day of ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ Campaign
Baltej Pannu remembered that Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, recently asked for a stringent rule against beadbi (sacrilege). The Punjab Assembly has already heard this proposal. In order to create a strong state law with the harshest punishment possible so that no one dares commit such a crime, a committee has been established, discussions have been held with representatives of all parties, and input is being gathered,” he stated.
Additionally, Dhami’s attempt to cast doubt on the police by bringing up old accusations was denied by the AAP Punjab Media In-charge. Baltej Pannu, who has worked in media for 20 years, stated, “If we go back to 1996, Prakash Singh Badal spoke of convening a Truth Commission on multiple occasions. However, under the Akali governments that ruled from 1997 to 2002 and again from 2007 to 2017, who gave promotions to the very officers who were accused of abusing young people? Sumedh Saini was appointed DGP by whom? Mohammad Izhar Alam was promoted by whom? Who introduced his family to politics? It appears that Dhami Sahib has forgotten all of this.
According to him, the fundamental query that Harjinder Singh Dhami is evading is straightforward and unchanging: where are the 328 missing Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji that the SGPC has yet to locate?
Baltej Pannu cited the Ishar Singh report, which made it apparent that resignations from guilty people should not be accepted since they would be utilized to avoid accountability and place the blame on inferior authorities. Nevertheless, Roop Singh’s resignation was accepted by Dhami Sahib. In addition, he was moved overseas when his debts were paid. Baltej Pannu noted that this was done to safeguard their own citizens.
Baltej Pannu further said that a news outlet associated with the party Harjinder Singh Dhami suppressed the story when SS Kohli’s name was revealed in order to keep the truth from being revealed. “SS Kohli might be hiding important information. “Those secrets will now be revealed by the SIT,” he stated.
He emphasized that nothing has happened in the past five years despite the Ishar Singh report’s explicit statement that SS Kohli should be reimbursed for 75% of the amount. “You claim that the Sikh Judicial Gurdwara Commission is in charge of this. In five years, what has that commission accomplished? People who are close to your party sit there, thus the solution is obvious. “Your party’s chief spokesperson’s father is the head of the commission,” Baltej Pannu stated.
Baltej Pannu questioned why the SGPC had been unable to retrieve the money that had been taken from the Guru’s golak for five years. Kohli received about ₹10 crore, of which ₹7.5 crore needed to be recouped. “Why wasn’t it done?” he inquired. Baltej Pannu emphasized that SGPC did not respond appropriately when Saroops were stolen at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015, and when sacrilege incidents occurred in November. Although posters were displayed, what specific actions were taken? He asked, “When you say you don’t need the police, which ‘SGPC police’ arrested the offenders or filed FIRs?”
He also mentioned the Kotkapura shooting, in which water cannons and bullets were used to quell the demands of devotees for justice. “FIRs were filed against Sukhbir Singh Badal and other individuals. They had to ask the High Court for bail. According to Baltej Pannu, “this is the reality of claiming to be above the law.”
The former Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had instructed SGPC to establish a free-to-air Gurbani channel, the AAP Punjab Media In-charge remembered in reference to the Gurbani broadcast issue. “What became of that order? You worry that connections to foreign Gurbani broadcast outlets would surface as a result of Kohli’s arrest. You are supporting channel owners as a political party soldier because of this,” he claimed.
Baltej Pannu concluded by directly challenging Dhami. “At your next press conference, honestly respond to one question. You have a diary in which details of the beadbi cases and the 328 missing Saroops are recorded. Why did you keep that diary a secret? “Is that diary essential to your presidency?” he inquired.
Baltej Pannu said that in the coming days, he will also make public details of all FIRs registered by SGPC so far. “Stand with justice and truth. Be a soldier of Guru Sahib, not of the Badal family,” he asserted.