Amritsar, Punjab (March 20, 2014): It seems that Akal Takht has not recognised the Takht Patna Sahib Management Committee’s move to suspend Patna Sahib Jathedar Giani Iqbal Singh after a violent clash over the appointment of an additional Jathedar there on January 7.
There are reports that Giani Iqbal Singh would participate in a meeting of the five Sikh jathedars at Amritsar on March 20.
According to certain media reports Giani Iqbal Singh confirmed that he would participate in the meeting in his capacity as Patna Sahib Jathedar.
According to The Tribune: Giani Iqbal Singh claimed before he was suspended, the management committee members were booked on attempt to murder charges and therefore they had no right to initiate any action against him. “Their inappropriate and illegal action is not recognised by Akal Takht,” he alleged.
“He alleged the committee members and their aides were involved in a violent attack on him. He stated that he could not participate in the previous […] meetings as he was recuperating from the injuries he had suffered in the clash” The Tribune has reported.
It may be recalled that Akal Takht had appointed a probe panel, comprising SGPC members and officials, to inquire into the 7 January clash. A parallel probe was set up by Sant Samaj led by Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma. The issued was listed for discussion during several meetings at Akal Takht but was later unlisted indeterminately.
As per information in March 20 meeting five Sikh jathedars would deliberate on several issues in the meeting, including that of an educational trust in Rajasthan whose members were declared “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) sometime ago.
The members have been summoned to the Akal Takht Secretariat and they are likely to be awarded “tankhah” (religious punishment). It was only last week that a Rajasthan-based Sikh group had accused Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh of receiving “siropa” from a trustee who was declared “tankhaiya”.