Take back ‘Panth Rattan’ title from Badal, say Surat Khalsa supporters
Tuesday, 25/08/2015
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AMRITSAR: The supporters of Surat Singh Khalsa, who has been on a hunger strike since January demanding the release of Sikh detainees, on Monday appealed to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh to withdraw the ‘Panth Rattan — Fakr-e-Qaum’ honour bestowed on Shiromani Akali Dal patron and chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Members of the Bapu Surat Singh Sangharsh Committee hand over a memorandum to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh in Amritsar on Monday.
The Akal Takht had bestowed the title on Badal in 2011 in recognition of “his services to the Sikh ‘panth’ (community)”.
Under the banner of ‘Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa Sangarsh Committee’, Khalsa’s supporters met the jathedar in his office here and forwarded a memorandum to him in which they made this demand, referring to the chief minister as an enemy of the community.
They have set August 30 as the deadline for withdrawing this honour and threatened that if their demand was not met “the qaum will issue a directive announcing the withdrawal of the honour”.
Those who met the jathedar included Surjit Singh Kalabala, SGPC member, Jarnail Singh Sakhira and Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singhwala of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Harbir Singh Sandhu and Gurdip Singh Bathinda.
“We have the highest regard for the Akal Takht and have always been ready to submit to its directions. At critical junctures, the ‘qaum’ always looks to the Akal Takht for guidance,” the memorandum stated.
The memorandum held Badal responsible for the “degradation of Sikh values”. It claimed that as CM, Badal had taken no worthwhile steps to secure the release of Sikh detainees who have been behind the bars for a very long and for whose release Surat Singh Khalsa had gone on hunger strike.
It also held Badal responsible for the rise in the number of drug addiction cases in Punjab.
The jathedar refused to comment on the contents of the memorandum.
