Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leader and MLA Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar has expressed serious concern over the sensational revelations made by former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Raghbir Singh Ji, regarding the internal functioning of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akali Dal. He said that these allegations made by a respected personality like Giani Raghbir Singh Ji, who is thoroughly aware of the institution’s internal workings, are extremely painful and disturbing for the Sikh community.
Nijjar said that although there were already discussions within the Sangat about the decline of these institutions, the fact that a responsible office-bearer of the supreme Sikh institution has now brought these truths into the public domain multiplies the seriousness of the matter many times over. Referring to various aspects of corruption, MLA Nijjar said that valuable lands of the Guru Ghar are being sold off at throwaway prices to provide illegal benefits to favourites.
He further revealed that large-scale fraud is taking place in contracts being run under SGPC management, where contracts are first given to their own close associates, and then those are further sublet at high prices, resulting in the looting of the Guru’s Golak. Even more shameful is the fact that even the rotis prepared for the sacred langar of the Guru Ghar are being sold, which is a direct insult to the pure faith of the Sikh Sangat and a blatant violation of the sanctity of the langar tradition.
Speaking about the evil spreading in religious affairs, Dr. Nijjar said that it is extremely unfortunate that cases have come to light where bribes of Rs 5 lakh are being demanded from devotees in the name of arranging Path at Sri Darbar Sahib. Not only this, large-scale money transactions are also taking place in the transfers of employees.
Giving an example, he said that even Singh Sahib Giani Sultan Singh Ji was told by an employee about a demand of Rs 5 lakh to return to Amritsar, which proves that honesty has been replaced in the institution by money and political pressure. Discussing the most serious issue, MLA Nijjar raised the matter of the missing sacred swaroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
He said that 328 sacred hand-written swaroops of Guru Maharaj, and historic swaroops related to the Nankana Sahib Morcha are today out of the Sangat’s sight. He questioned where this priceless heritage has gone and under who is responsible for their disappearance.
He made a strong appeal to the entire Sikh community to unite and free the SGPC and the Akali Dal from the control of one family and bring major reforms in these institutions so that the pride and dignity of the Sikh Panth can be restored.