Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh accused the Punjab government on Friday of trying to create panic by increasing security in Talwandi Sabo and other parts of the district ahead of Baisakhi.
The Jathedar again asked fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender.
Giani Harpreet Singh called a special gathering at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo here on Friday to discuss the role of Sikh and Punjabi journalism, Sikh media contribution, and challenges the state is facing at present. The gathering comes at a time when concerns about the rise of secessionist forces in the border state are being expressed, especially in the wake of a major law and order breach in the Ajnala Police Station attack led by Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher declared a fugitive by police.
Addressing the gathering, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, said that because of the strict security measures, only a fraction of the usual number of devotees has come here this time ahead of Baisakhi. Apparently referring to certain media reports, the Jathedar said, “Earlier, they said Amritpal Singh would surrender here. Now they will start saying that he will surrender on Baisakhi day, and an attempt will be made to create panic in his name. The government should avoid it.” The Jathedar said when such a situation is created, it affects not only the image of Punjabis and Punjab but also the government that is ruling Punjab. The Jathedar also appealed to people to attend the Baisakhi festival in maximum numbers at Damdama Sahib. Baisakhi, one of Punjab’s biggest festivals in north India, marks the foundation day of the ‘Khalsa Panth’ (Sikh order) by the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. It also marks the onset of harvest season.
Speaking to reporters later, the Jathedar again asked radical preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender. He also directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, to file a complaint against the police’s terming of flags of erstwhile Sikh rule as Khalistan flags to file a complaint against the police’s terming of flags of erstwhile Sikh rule as Khalistan flags. The Jathedar lamented that the SGPC had earlier been told to file a complaint, but it did not take any meaningful step in the matter.
