Amritsar, Jan 15 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann appeared before the Akal Takht secretariat here on Thursday after being summoned by the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs for his alleged remarks about Sikh traditions and tenets.
Before his appearance at the Akal Takht secretariat, Mann offered prayers at the Golden Temple here.
Mann later told reporters that he had submitted his clarifications to Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj.
The response will be examined in detail after which directions will be given, he said.
Mann added that he appeared before the Akal takht secretariat as a devout Sikh to offer his clarification and will obey any directive it gives.
Jathedar Gargaj had on January 5 summoned Mann for allegedly making comments on ‘Guru ki Golak’ (a gurdwara donation box) and indulging in “objectionable activities” with the pictures of Sikh gurus and slain militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
When asked about the comments made by the jathedar last week on certain videos circulating on social media, Mann said the video was fake or AI-generated, which could be verified in any forensic lab in the country.
Mann is not the first chief minister to be summoned by the Akal Takht secretariat. The then-CM Surjit Singh Barnala was declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) in 1986 and excommunicated for ordering a police action in the Golden Temple as part of Operation Black Thunder. He eventually sought atonement two years later.
Operation Black Thunder was conducted in April 1986 to flush out extremists and terrorists from Golden Temple Complex, Amritsar.
The Akal Takht jathedar also declared Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Badal ‘tankhaiya’ for “mistakes” committed by the SAD and its government from 2007 to 2017. Badal, too, appeared before the Sikh body for “tankhah” (religious punishment) in 2014.
Ahead of his appearance before the Akal Takht secretariat on Thursday, Mann said a false perception was being created on social media that he was challenging the Akal Takht’s authority.
Mann told reporters that he would never challenge the Akal Takht’s authority which is supreme.
The jathedar said Mann deliberately expressed an “anti-Sikh mentality” and repeatedly made “objectionable” comments against the principle of ‘dasvand’, or ‘tithe’, a practice of donating 10 per cent of earnings to the place of worship.
Citing “objectionable videos” circulating on social media, Gargaj had claimed that Mann’s actions towards images of the Sikh Gurus and Bhindranwale were disrespectful.
However, Mann submitted that the videos circulating were fake.
Gargaj said since the chief minister is a ‘patit’ (a Sikh who cuts his hair) and cannot be presented before the facade of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, he has been summoned to appear in person at the secretariat of the Akal Takht to get his explanation.
Mann has maintained that he would appear before the Akal Takht not as a chief minister, but as a humble and devout Sikh.
“Any command or order from Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is acceptable to me with full reverence and will be obeyed. Sri Akal Takht Sahib Ji is above everything for me. Any order received from that sacred Takht will be followed in true letter and spirit,” Mann said recently.
Mann is the second sitting Punjab chief minister to be summoned by the Akal takht after Surjit Singh Barnala, who faced the action in the 1980s. PTI JMS SUN VSD SKY
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