Longowal reappointed SGPC chief
AMRITSAR : Gobind Singh Longowal was reappointed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president at the apex gurdwara body’s annual General House meeting held at Teja Singh Samundari Hall in Amritsar on Tuesday.
Longowal, 59, become the 42nd president of the SGPC, having taken over the post for the first time in 2017. There 180 members of SGPC General House of which 174 have voting rights. Of the 174, 159 are elected and 15 are nominated.
On Monday, the SGPC had authorised Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal to name the new president and other office-bearers of the gurdwara body.
Amid boycott by anti-Badal members, led by former SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Longowal’s name was proposed by former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur and seconded by another former SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar.
NEW FACES IN 11-MEMBER EXECUTIVE
Raghujit Singh Virk and Gurbachan Singh Karmuwala also retained the posts of senior vicepresident and general secretary, respectively. Bikar Singh Chano, a new face, has been elected as junior vice-president. The 11-member executive committee comprises all new faces except Baba Gurmeet Singh Tirlokewala. The new faces also include some neglected members, including Bhai Manjit Singh, who had raised a banner of revolt against the SAD.
Others elected in the executive committee are Bhupinder Singh Bhalwan, Jarnail Singh Kartarpur, Khushwinder Singh Bhatia, Amrik Singh Vichhoa, Shingara Singh Lohian, Tara Singh Salla, Jagjit Singh Talwandi Amrik Singh Kot Shamir and Jasvir Kaur Jaffarwal.
Former minister Tota Singh, former SGPC presidents Avtar Singh Makkar and Kirpal Singh Badungar were among the 153 members of the apex gurdwara body present at the meeting.
OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS ELECTIONS
Panthic Front, a group of 15 antiSAD members, boycotted the elections. In a communiqué sent by the Panthic Front, Bhaur and another SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Randhawa said they were protesting against the pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case, sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and killing of Sikh protesters at Behbal Kalan.
Former Akali minister and SGPC member Sewa Singh Sekhwan, who was recently expelled from the party, and Balwinder Singh Veinpuin, who is close to expelled SAD leader and Khadoor Sahib MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, also skipped the meeting. Lok Insaaf Party MLA Balwinder Singh Bains and his aide Mohinder Singh walked out of the house raising demand of conducting a debate over the sacrilege issue.
PARKASH PURB: SGPC CHIEF BATS FOR JOINT FUNCTION
Interacting with the media after being re-elected SGPC chief, Longowal said the 550th parkash purb of Guru Nanak should be celebrated jointly by the SGPC and the state government.
In resolutions passed during the meeting, the SGPC expressed displeasure over the Union government’s indifferent attitude on the Kartarpur corridor issue.
The members also demanded resignation of state school education minister OP Soni over “discrepancies” in the Punjab School Education Board Class 12 history textbook.