Amritsar: Harjinder Singh Dhami has been re-elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The election for the post of president was held on Wednesday and Dhami got 104 votes while Bibi Jagir Kaur managed to get only 42 votes. Harjinder Dhami is close to the Badal family.
Dhami said the SGPC elections this year were special. This time RSS, central government, BJP, chairman of National Commission for Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura and Punjab government came together and put pressure on the members.
Major Singh Dhillon, a member from Mansa, was called twice by Lalpura himself and pressured him to vote against him, but still the opposition has lost, he said.
Dhami said that today’s contest was a direct challenge to the SGPC. “I thank all the Members. I also thank the senior leadership of Akali Dal and Sukhbir Badal for believing in him and making me the candidate. Sardar Baldev Singh Kayampuri, Sardar Avtar Singh, Sardar Gurcharan Singh Garewal were elected general secretaries,” he said.
The executive members are Mohan Singh Bangi, Jarnail Singh Kartarpur, Surjit Singh Tughlabad, Bawa Singh Gumanpur, Bibi Gurinder Kaur, Gurnam Singh Batala, Paramjit Singh Khalsa, Sher Singh Mandwala, Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, Bhupinder Singh, Malkit Singh Jhungal.
Sukhbir Badal should resign
Bibi Jagir Kaur asked Sukhbir Badal to resign after the elections. “Sukhbir Badal had said he would not get 25 votes but got 42. Now Sukhbir Badal should resign.
Without naming the Badal family, she said they were traitors of the community who conspired the Bargari incident and ensured pardon to Dera chief Ram Rahim.
Earlier, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh was also present on the occasion. Tributes were paid to the SGPC members who died at the beginning of the General Assembly. During this time, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami read out the condolence letter while being the current head.
Bibi Jagir Kaur was considered a big challenge for the Akali Dal. Till the last moment, Sukhbir Badal urged her to give up her stubbornness, but Bibi Jagir Kaur was adamant to contest the elections.