Post acquittal, Bibi seeks to revive political career
Wants to work on religious front, hints at another SGPC stint
CHANDIGARH: With the Punjab and Haryana high court acquitting her in an 18-year-old case related to her daughter Harpreet Kaur’s death, Bibi Jagir Kaur, 64, is looking for a chance to revive her political career. But the stigma and public perception associated with the case will take time to wash off.
The HC on Tuesday set aside Bibi’s conviction by the trial court for forceful abortion and illegal confinement of her daughter and also turned down an appeal filed by the CBI levelling murder charges.
“She will disturb Akali politics now. She will seek space for herself. Had she not fallen into this trap, she would have achieved more success in politics. But the stigma can’t be washed off so soon,” said Sikh historian Prithipal Singh Kapur.
Bibi Jagir Kaur had to step down as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief when the case was registered against her. In September 2004, she was elected as head of the gurdwara body but had to step down amid opposition in Sikh circles for facing trial for her daughter’s murder.
Belonging to the affluent Lobana community, she has a significant following in the affluent Doaba belt where people migrating abroad is commonplace. Bibi has no dearth of financial support. As head of the Sant Baba Prem Singh Murale Wale in Bholath, Bibi was at the helm of the community which helped her find a foothold in the Shiromani Akali Dal in 1996.
‘PATIENCE PAID OFF’
“My patience and faith in the Almighty have paid off. I remained a worker and my party stood by me in tough times,” Bibi said after the court order.
She was quick to announce that he wants to work on the religious front, hinting that she could head the SGPC again for she has a strong grip on Panthic issues.
“Becoming the SGPC head immediately is not possible because the elections were held recently,” she said, pinning her hopes on the gurdwara body’s 2019 general house. Today, she heads the SAD’S women’s wing, the Istri Akali Dal.
“She has a strong grip on religious issues and will be rewarded for the patience in all these years. She remained connected to the party,” said SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema. Her political bête noire and suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, “Everyone abides by the court’s judgment but her (Bibi’s) conscience will prick her.”
METEORIC RISE
Bibi joined politics from the Simranjeet Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). After joining mainstream politics through the Shiromani Akali Dal, her rise was meteoric.
She became an SGPC member and a minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government from 1997-2002 within a year of quitting her job as a school teacher. She was represented Bholath twice in the Punjab assembly.
Her rise can be gauged from the fact that at 45, she replaced Gurcharan Singh Tohra as head of the SGPC, when he and Badal fell apart. The SGPC was in the midst of celebrating 300 years of the Khalsa Panth, which Bibi handled well.