Chandigarh, March 31: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has slammed Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh over his recent ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (grand assembly) calls on social media and made it clear that it was only the prerogative of the Akal Takht jathedar (chief) to give such call of congregation after discussion with concerning Sikh community.
The top Sikh body’s rejoinder came days after the fugitive Waris Punjab De chief, in his two video messages, asked Akal Takht to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (Sikh religious congregation) and take out a ‘Khalsa Vaheer’ (religious procession) from the Akal Takht in Amritsar to the Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.
“It is personal wish of Amritpal Singh…. To call or not to call ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ is the sole prerogative of Akal Takht jathedar and no one else,” news agency PTI quoted SGPC General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal as saying.
Furthermore, Grewal said that since the jathedar is leading the Sikh community, he takes each decision with deep thought followed by the opinions of Sikh scholars and intellectuals.
Earlier this week, Amritpal Singh requested the jathedar of the Akal Takht to call Sarbat Khalsa to discuss issues to save Punjab on Baisakhi (April 13) and said he “is not yet arrested”.
Amritpal Singh has been on the run since a police crackdown on his outfit Waris Punjab De on March 18. In the audio clip, he debunked speculation he was negotiating his surrender with Punjab Police.
