Summoned for ‘hurting Sikh sentiments’ | Mann denies seeking change in timing: ‘Entire Jan 15 dedicated to Akal Takht’
As a controversy erupted over the change in the timing of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s scheduled appearance before the Akal Takht secretariat from 10 am to 4.30 pm on January 15, Mann on Tuesday clarified that there was no official request from him or his office for changing the time.
“No official letter or statement has been issued from my side or my office regarding the change in time. I am ready to appear at 10 am on January 15,” Mann said.
Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj had summoned him for allegedly making comments on ‘Guru ki Golak’ (a gurdwara donation box) and indulging in “objectionable activities” with the pictures of the “Sikh Gurus” and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.“While “deliberately expressing an anti-Sikh mentality, Mann repeatedly made objectionable comments against the principle of ‘Dasvandh’ bestowed by the Sikh Gurus, deeply hurting Sikh sentiments,” the jathedar of the highest temporal seat for Sikhs said. Dasvandh is a Sikh practice of donating 10 per cent of one’s earnings as a religious duty.
The Akal Takht secretariat, in a statement issued here, said the time of the chief minister’s appearance “changed in view of engagements he indicated for that day”. “As per the orders of Executive Jathedar Singh Sahib Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the time for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh to provide clarification at the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat on January 15, 2026, has been changed from 10 am to 4.30 pm in view of the engagements he himself indicated for that day,” the Akal Takht said.
Mann was asked to appear at the secretariat rather than the Akal Takht’s inner sanctum.
“I have no other work on January 15. I have already informed the office of the honourable President about my appearance at Akal Takht, and my inability to attend her event on that day (at GNDU varsity in Amritsar). Jathedar ji, as per your instructions, the entire day of January 15 is dedicated to Sri Akal Takht Sahib. I had said that I would present myself barefoot on time on January 15,” the chief minister said in a post on X.
While announcing his plan to appear before the Akal Takht secretariat barefoot, not as a chief minister, but as a humble and devout Sikh, Mann had requested “a live telecast of the SGPC’s golak (donation box) accounting with evidence”.
“Any command or order from Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is acceptable to me with full reverence and will be obeyed. Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is above everything for me. Any order received from that sacred Takht will be followed in true letter and spirit. The command of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is, was, and will always remain supreme for my family and me,” Mann said.
The Akal Takht jathedar had, however, not issued a statement in this connection till the time of filing of this report.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police on Tuesday visited offices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar and Chandigarh and sought records in connection with their probe into the 328 missing ‘saroops’ (scripture) of the Guru Granth Sahib case.
“We met SGPC officials and submitted a written request that the record be provided. They said they would soon provide us with the record. Once we have the record, we can properly investigate the case,” SIT member Jagatpreet Singh told reporters in Amritsar after meeting SGPC officials.
The matter regarding the disappearance of ‘saroops’ from the SGPC’s publication house in Amritsar came to light in June 2020, leading to a major controversy at that time.
The police had registered a case in Amritsar on December 7 last year against 16 people, including a former SGPC official in connection with the disappearance of ‘saroops’ under various sections, including 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult a religion), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (forgery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On Monday, Gargajj had directed the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab government over the 328 missing sacred ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib case. “In view of the confusion being created among the ‘sangat’ (Sikh community) by some people in the present matter of the sacred ‘saroops’ and keeping in mind the larger Panthic interests, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami is, hereby, authorised to extend due cooperation to the government only with regard to the issue of the 328 sacred ‘saroops’.”
In a statement issued here on Monday from the Akal Takht secretariat, the Jathedar said that if the government required any information from the SGPC for investigation, the sought details might be examined at the SGPC’s Chandigarh sub-office in the presence of SGPC president Dhami.
