Complete faith in the supremacy of the Takht Sahib; neither the courage nor the stature to challenge it – Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
Presenting the sentiments of lakhs of people through written submissions and clarification has brought deep peace of mind – Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
Amritsar, January 15 (K.L. Jit Walia):-Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today bowed in reverence before Sri Akal Takht Sahib as a humble Sikh, offering prayers barefoot. The Chief Minister dedicated his entire day to the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. Appearing before the Jathedar Sahib at the Sri Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat, he gave a detailed clarification regarding his earlier statements. He reiterated that as a humble Sikh, he has complete faith in the supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and accepts every decision of Sri Akal Takht Sahib with utmost respect. He categorically stated that there is neither any intention nor any possibility of challenging or weakening the supremacy of this sacred institution.
Speaking to the media after appearing at the Secretariat, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he personally appeared in compliance with the directions of the Jathedar Sahib. He said, “On the orders of the Jathedar Sahib, I appeared here today as a humble Sikh and presented my clarification in response to the questions raised. Sri Akal Takht Sahib is the supreme institution of the entire Sikh community and it is supreme for me as well.” The Chief Minister added that the Jathedar Sahib has recorded his statement and further action will be taken after deliberations with the Singh Sahiban.
Expressing complete respect for every decision of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Chief Minister said, “I will abide by every decision of the Jathedar Sahib. Appearing here today has given me immense peace, inner calm and satisfaction.”
Rejecting outright the narrative being propagated by certain forces about an alleged confrontation between Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Punjab Government, he termed such claims as “baseless and false.” He said, “There is no question whatsoever of challenging or weakening the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, which is supreme for the entire Sikh community. My government is solely focused on the progress of Punjab and the welfare of its people.”
Calling himself a servant of Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that he would leave no stone unturned for the welfare of Punjab and Punjabis. He stated, “I pray daily for the Chardi Kala of the state. My head always bows at every religious place. It is impossible that any of my actions would be against the state or its people.”
The Chief Minister said that, as a representative of the sentiments of lakhs of people, he submitted 25,000 to 30,000 pages of complaints to the Jathedar Sahib. He said, “These complaints reflect the feelings of people who have highlighted various irregularities in the functioning of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. I have humbly requested the Jathedar Sahib to get these complaints examined, as the sentiments of lakhs of people are associated with them. Institutions are always supreme, but their heads can make mistakes. Such individuals should not be shown any leniency for their wrongdoings.”
He further stated, “Every order of Sri Akal Takht Sahib is acceptable to me with bowed head because it is the supreme institution of the Sikhs. I and my family will follow the directions of the supreme institution.” He also expressed gratitude to the Jathedar Sahib for presenting him with two valuable books related to Sikh Rehat Maryada and the Gurdwara Act.
Clarifying the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe missing saroops (holy forms) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Chief Minister said that there is no political motive behind this decision. He said, “The SIT has been constituted only to trace the missing saroops. Its responsibility has been strictly limited to locating the missing saroops so that they are not misused.” Bhagwant Singh Mann added that he has requested the Jathedar Sahib to intervene and issue directions to the Shiromani Committee to provide the unique code assigned to every saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib published by it, to help trace the missing ones.
The Chief Minister said that the police and the state government will locate the sacred saroops and inform Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Shiromani Committee about their whereabouts so that appropriate action can be ensured in accordance with Sikh Rehat Maryada.
KL JIT WALIA
