"When will the politics of promises end?" – International Panthic Dal UK directly challenges SGPC President Dhami

 "When will the politics of promises end?" – International Panthic Dal UK directly challenges SGPC President Dhami

London/UK: 20 February – International Panthic Dal UK has directly challenged its President Harjinder Singh Dhami, raising serious questions on the current state of the Sikh Panth and the performance of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The organization has said that the Sangat around the world is demanding answers today – there have been many announcements, but where is the implementation?

In a joint statement issued by the party’s President Raghveer Singh, International Chief Organizer Bhai Paramjit Singh Dhadi, Public Secretary and Chief Spokesperson Bhai Kaptan Singh, Senior Vice President Bhai Raghbir Singh Biha and Bhai Raghbir Singh Maldi, the party reminded that the Shiromani Committee had announced the formation of an 11-member committee for the release of the imprisoned Sikhs, and a date for a big protest in Delhi was also fixed. But the entire program was cancelled on the spot. The organization asked – Where is that committee? Why is the report public? Wasn't it done? Isn't this a direct breach of promise to the Panth?

Citing the message issued from Akal Takht Sahib on December 2, 2024, the party said that it was the moral responsibility of the SGPC and its president to implement the orders of the five Singh Sahibans. The strategy of resignations and withdrawal is tantamount to leaving the Panthic Hukamnamas incomplete.

The committee had announced to bring a new system for the appointment and retirement of Jathedars. A sub-committee was formed, but no action has been taken till date. Along with this, the party has also sought clarity on the issue of giving a 72-hour ultimatum to Giani Raghbir Singh - if the ultimatum was given, then the truth should be told to the Panth in the meeting on the 24th.

The party also raised the question that have the "black bags of evidence" given by the Punjab government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in the secretariat really been opened? If they have been opened, what was in them? This is before the Panth. When will the evidence be kept?

Citing the allegations levelled by former Jathedar Giani Ranjit Singh, the party said that SGPC lands have been allegedly given to the Badal family and relatives of Akali leaders at low rates. When there is usually no contract of less than Rs 50 thousand per acre in Punjab, then at what rate were SGPC lands given? The complete information should be made public.

Why is there a reluctance to form an independent inquiry committee into the administrative scams and major allegations levelled against SGPC? Calling critics “agents of the government” cannot be a way to avoid accountability.

Even after the orders of the Akal Takht, no formal steps have been taken regarding the Sikhs’ own media channel. Along with this, the absence of SGPC elections for the last 11 years is a serious democratic issue. If by-elections can be held in other constitutional institutions, then why not in SGPC?

Along with this, the International Panthic Dal The UK has also demanded the immediate public disclosure of the report of the committee on the imprisoned Singhs, the disclosure of complete information on the SGPC land contracts, the presentation of the evidence in the "black bags" before the Panth, the formation of an independent investigation committee, the implementation of the Panthic consensus system for the appointment of Jathedars, and the early holding of SGPC elections.