Ludhiana, October 9: Next in the line of rebellion building up against the top leadership of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK, who announced to step down from the post of president on Tuesday.
The Sikh leader has handed over the charge of DSGMC to his confidante and senior vice-president of the committee Harmeet Singh Kalka.
GK is also the president of Delhi unit of SAD and continues to be on the post.
In September, SAD’s secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa resigned from the party post. He was followed by three leaders from Majha including lok sabha MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, former MP Rattan Singh Ajnala and former minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan.
All four leaders were upset with the decision making process in the party and the way panthic matters were dealt by the party’s top leadership.
The leaders including GK had voiced concerns over the way Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was pardoned by the Akal Takht in 2015.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is the prime target of the rebels.
In August, Manjit GK was attacked by a group of 25 people outside the Yuba City Gurdwara in California. He had also claimed that he and his family members were attacked by Khalistan supporters outside a New York TV studio on August 20. Members of the Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast (USA) protested against him outside a city gurdwara in connection with the Bargari shootout.
In an interview to HT, he said his party was facing crisis of credibility with Sikhs and needs a course correction. He equated a series of sacrilege incidents that began during the Akali-BJP regime to Operation Bluestar.
After the interview GK was rebuked by Akali patriarch and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal asking him to not be vocal.
A close aide of Manjit GK said that he was feeling pressurised over the issue of sacrilege, by Sikhs in Delhi, who elected him to the post twice.
He added that GK was not allowed to function independently in DSGMC and as a reaction to this he decided to step down.
GK was not available for comments.
Source Hindustan Times