SGPC executive meet held at Fatehgarh Sahib

FATEHGARH SAHIB: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday withdrew an additional charge of acting jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib from Giani Gurmukh Singh. The decision was taken in a meeting of the SGPC executive held on Friday under the chairmanship of SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar.
While giving details of the meeting, Badungar said after taking charge of acting Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib from Giani Gurmukh Singh, he has been shifted to Gurdwara Sri Damdhaan Sahib, Patshahi Nauvi (Haryana) as head granthi.He said the duty of ‘Sikh Sahibans’ is to perform in religious duties, but Giani Gurmukh Singh has allegedly violated ‘maryada’. Therefore, the SGPC executive decided to withdraw the additional charge from him and transferred him, he said.
He said the executive had decided to appoint Giani Harpreet Singh, head granthi of Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, Muktsar, as acting jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. He said Bhai Malkit Singh, granthi of Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Baba Deep Singh, Amritsar, was appointed as head granthi of Sri Akal Takht, in place of Giani Gurmukh Singh.
Giani Gurmukh Singh, the Golden Temple head granthi, took over additional charge of the jathedar, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, on January 27, 2015, in the presence of Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, then SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, and senior Akali leaders Sikander Singh Maluka, Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Darshan Singh Kotfatta, and Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu. Gurmukh Singh had replaced Balwant Singh Nandgarh, who was removed from the post for not following an SGPC order on the Nanakshahi calendar. The SGPC president said SGPC would continue to provide financial assistance to baptized students. Scholarships will also be provided to outstanding students.
He said SGPC had assigned the duty of translation of Guru Granth Sahib to Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib. Earlier, this task was given to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.