Akal Takht notice to Bibi Jagir triggers controversy

Jalandhar: After Akal Takht issued a notice to former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur seeking clarification on two counts, including death of her daughter over 24 years back, Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar has said that two complaints against her were given at Akal Takht secretariat by SAD workers, and these were aimed at exploiting her personal tragedy for political purposes. The notice has also triggered a new controversy in Sikh circles, not only due to its nature but also due to its timing, when the Akal Takht is still handling the complaint against SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and has already declared him a ‘tankhaiya’.“The allegations levelled against Bibi Jagir Kaur amount to insulting a woman when she has already suffered immense pain due to the death of her daughter, and she was even acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2018. There was no basis for moving these complaints now. After this tragedy, Bibi repeatedly became president of SGPC and Akali Dal fielded her in assembly elections and in 2019 even in the parliament election from Khadoor Sahib. Akal Takht secretariat should not be turned into a complaint centre or police station. This also sets a precedent that people can rush with personal complaints to Akal Takht,” said Sudhar Lehar convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala while addressing a press conference here in the presence of senior leader Sucha Singh Chhottepur. “We have even learnt that Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh pulled up the persons who took the complaint to Akal Takht. He said that as SAD workers moved these two complaints it appeared that the move was aimed to damage Bibi ahead of the election of SGPC president which is due in November,” he said. The other allegation in the notice to Bibi, issued on Sept 26, is that she ‘removed’ her hair and the notice also claimed that “there is strong resentment in the Sikh Sangat (over these allegations)” and asked her to give clarification in a week. Meanwhile, former SGPC general secretary Kiranjot Kaur strongly opposed the notice to Bibi Jagir Kaur, while citing history and tradition. On Sunday, she wrote on her Facebook account that a never a Sikh man or woman had been called at Akal Takht Jathedar over allegations of removing or cutting hair and there was need to oppose setting of this ‘new precedent’ as it does not come under Jathedar’s purview. “For personal deficiencies or violations, a Sikh is answerable to the Guru and not to any individual, including the Akal Takht Jathedar,” she argued while adding that at Akal Takht, only community affairs can be discussed and not personal. She also took a strong dig at the complainants for “indulging in cheap politics”. She said that Jathedar should have thrown the complaint of this nature in the dustbin and should have taught a lesson of maryada (code of conduct) to the complainants in place of conveying an impression of becoming a tool for cheap politics. Former IAS officer and noted author Gurtej Singh on Saturday wrote a detailed note on his Facebook wall, strongly arguing against the notice while quoting from Gurbani and said that it appeared partisan to favour one faction of Akali Dal.