Akal Takht summons Chadha over video row
IN THE DOCK Says exChief Khalsa Diwan head not to officiate any Sikh body till next decision
AMRITSAR: Two days after an objectionable video clip in which former Chief Khalsa Diwan president Charanjit Singh Chadha is seen with a woman principal of a school the charitable society runs surfaced, the Akal Takht on Thursday summoned Chadha over the issue. The date for appearance has not been fixed yet. ››
AMRITSAR: Two days after an objectionable video clip, in which former Chief K hal saDiwa np resident Charanjit Singh Chad ha is seen with a woman principal of a school the charitable society runs, surfaced on social media, the Akal Takht on Thursday asked Chadha to appear before the Sikh clergy.
The date for appearance has not been fixed yet.
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singhsaidt hedi slodged Chief K ha ls a Di wan head will not officiate in any Sikh body till next decision.
Chadha is also vice-president of theKhalsaCollege Governing Council that manages the historical Khalsa College( Amritsar ).
“The video has hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs across the world as the Chief K ha ls a Di wan is old and important organisation of the community," the Akal Takht jathedar said.
The jathedar said the decision on managing the affairs of the Chief Khalsa Diwan and its different institutions will be taken soon.
On Wednesday, office-bearers and members of the Chief K ha ls a Diwan had removed Chadha, who is in his eighties, from the president’s post, replacing him with officiating head Dhanraj Singh, who was vice-president earlier. The woman principal in the video has also lodged complaint with the Punjab director general of police (DGP) against Chad ha, accusing the octogenarian of sexually harassing her.
Several complaints have been made to the Aka lT akht,t he highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, by different organisations and individuals against Chadha.
On a question regarding the excommunication of former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah, who is in jail in an alleged rape case, without hearing his side, while givingChadha an opportunity to explain, the ja the thar said Chad ha’ s matter is different from that of Langah’s.
“Chad ha is willing to give clarification as the media reports suggested. He should be allowed to present his case,” Gurbachan Singh said.
He also sought a national holi- day on Sh a he edi G ur pu rab( martyr dom anniversary) of ninth Sikh master Guru Teg Bahadar saying he made a big contribution to save the Indian culture and the Indian government should commemo rate him.
He objected to the state government’s public holidays’ list saying that instead of including all days of G ur pu rab sin Punjab into the gazetted holidays’ list, the state government had added the Baisakhi holiday in the reserved list, which is condemnable.
In a press release on Thursday, Delhi SikhGu rd war a Management Comm it tee(DSGMC)p resident Manjit Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the state government’ s list of holidays and demanded gazetted holiday on the occasion of Ba isak hi, on April 13, 2018.
SIKHBODYALSOLODGES POLICECOMPLAINT AGAINSTCHADHA
Sikh Sadbhawna Dal led by former Golden Temple ragi(g urban iexponent)BhaiB al dev SinghW ad ala also lodged a complaint with Amritsar police commissioner SS Srivastava against C ha ranj it Singh Chad ha alleging the latter has hurt the Sikh sentiments.
Chadha has disrespected ‘kakars’ (articles of Sikh faith), thus hurting the religious sentiment soft he community, Bald ev Singh Wadala.
Chadha’s matter is different from that of Langah’s. Chadha is willing to give clarification as the media reports suggested. He should be allowed to present his case.
GIANI GURBACHAN SINGH, Akal Takht jathedar