Days after Ajnala incident, Amritpal Singh meets Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh in Amritsar

GS Paul

Amritsar, March 3

Amid criticism from diverse sections of society over carrying the Guru Granth Sahib saroop at the protest site that turned violent in Ajnala, the ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh on Friday met Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh at Akal Takht Secretariat here today.

Amritpal said he had come to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and that it was not a planned meeting.

Against the backdrop of the Ajnala incident, a 15-member panel has been formed by the Jathedar comprising the presidents of SGPC, DSGMC, CKD, Damdami Taksal, Sant Samaj heads and intellectuals to look into the protocol of carrying the saroop at the sites of protest and demonstrations. The panel would submit its report on March 6.

Reacting over it, Amritpal said that they (he and his supporters) would submit before the Akal Takht to clear their stance, if asked to.

“We would certainly attend to the call of the Akal Takht. We have historic evidence with us on our move and present our side of view in terms of ‘maryada’. If we are proved to be principally incorrect, we have no hassles to bow down”, he said.  

He said that the Akal Takht is the highest Sikh Temporal seat that signifies the Sikh political power under the principle of Miri and Piri. “The problem lies when the others with ‘half knowledge’ try to define Sikh principles, he said.

He also reacted to the comments of various political party leaders on his earlier statement of ‘not being an Indian citizen’. “Those who are not ‘Punjabi’ should go out. I am a citizen of Punjab not on the basis of ‘papers’, but our ancestors have done sacrifices on this soil. So, why should I go out of my land? Those who are not ‘Punjabi’ should leave it”, he said.

On the repeated reports of threat to his life, he said, “The life lasts till the Satguru (Almighty) wills. I believe that the threat to life could only be from the ‘agencies’ which have been claiming it to be so”.

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