SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami resigns on 'moral grounds'

Chandigarh: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami resigned from his post with immediate effect on Monday.

Dhami's resignation comes days after Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh strongly condemned the dismissal of the services of Giani Harpreet Singh as the jathedar of the Damdama Sahib by the SGPC.

Dhami said he is always committed to the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

Referring to a February 13 Facebook post of Jathedar Raghbir Singh on the termination of services of Giani Harpreet Singh, Dhami said he wrote that removing the latter was "highly condemnable" and "unfortunate".

"I being 'pardhan' (president of SGPC) take responsibility and resign from the post on moral grounds with immediate effect," he said while addressing the media in Amritsar.

Dhami also said he has written to the Akal Takht jathedar to relieve him of his position in the seven-member committee formed to supervise the new membership drive of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Dhami asserted that he had resigned to show his token of love for the Akal Takht jathedar.

On February 13, Giani Raghbir Singh condemned on Facebook the dismissal of services of Harpreet Singh as the jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.

In the post, the jathedar had said Giani Harpreet Singh's removal was "highly condemnable" and "unfortunate" which would harm the independent existence of the 'Takht Sahibs'.

Singh had described the reasons and ways to remove Giani Harpreet Singh as not appropriate.

The jathedar had also said that on December 2, the edict pronounced by the Akal Takht was in accordance with the "Panthic sentiments and traditions."

The Akal Takht on December 2 last year pronounced religious punishment for SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for the "mistakes" committed by the Akali Dal and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

He said a media trial was run against Giani Harpreet Singh in an 18-year-old matter.

On December 10, the SGPC dismissed the services of Giani Harpreet Singh as the jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda.

The decision was taken during an executive committee meeting of the SGPC.

It accepted a report by a three-member committee formed to probe the allegations against Giani Harpreet Singh in the 18-year-old domestic dispute matter.

The Akal Takht Jathedar had earlier asked the SGPC that the formation of a probe panel against Giani Harpreet Singh was not right and reiterated that only the Akal Takht had the authority to probe any allegation against the jathedar of any takht.