Giani Harpreet Singh on Wednesday announced his resignation from the post of jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib after accusing former SAD spokesperson Virsa Singh Valtoha of "targeting" him.
The development came a day after the Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh issued directives to expel Valtoha from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) after finding him "guilty of character assassination" of the Sikh clergy.
Following the directive, Valtoha on Tuesday resigned from the SAD.
Meanwhile, the Akal Takht jathedar came out in support of Giani Harpreet Singh and issued a directive to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) not to accept his resignation, threatening that he will also resign from his position.
Takht Damdama Sahib is one of the five takhts or seat of temporal authority of Sikhs and it is located in Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district.
In a video message on Wednesday, Giani Harpreet Singh, a Sikh scholar, accused Valtoha of targeting him by continuously indulging in his "character assassination".
"I want to inform the Sikh community that the Akal Takht yesterday announced a decision against Virsa Singh Valtoha who had been continuously indulging in character assassination of the Sikh clergy.
"Even after this, he has been doing character assassination every hour. He is especially targeting me. Now he crossed all limits," said Giani Harpreet Singh.
Alleging that his family was also being targeted, Giani Harpreet Singh said it cannot be tolerated. He further alleged that the SAD's social media was backing Valtoha's claims. "I am not scared of Valtoha," he further said.
He also minced no words in saying that the SGPC was keeping mum in the matter. In such a situation, he could not perform the duty as the jathedar, he said.
"Where I am jathedar, I am also the father of daughters... Therefore, I am sending my resignation to the SGPC chief and I asked him to accept it," said Giani Harpreet Singh.
"I am being threatened. Wrong messages are being sent. I never thought that Valtoha will stoop to such a level," he alleged.
Hours after Giani Harpreet Singh tendered his resignation, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh alleged that Valtoha was continuously targeting the Sikh clergy on social media.
He directed the SGPC president not to accept the resignation of Giani Harpreet Singh. He also appealed to Giani Harpreet Singh to review his decision of resignation.
If the resignation of Giani Harpreet Singh is accepted, then he will also be forced to tender his resignation, said Giani Raghbir Singh, who is the jathedar of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.
"Such an incident took place for the first time in the history of 'Panth' that the family of a jathedar was targeted. Making wrong comments against the children and daughters of a jathedar does not behove a Sikh," he said in a video message.
On Tuesday, the jathedar of the Akal Takht had directed SAD's working president Balwinder Singh Bhunder through an edict to expel Valtoha from the party within 24 hours and terminate his membership for 10 years.
The Akal Takht jathedar had taken action against Valtoha during an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
Valtoha was directed to produce proof to back his allegation that the jathedars are under pressure of the BJP-RSS and some others in matters pertaining to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Giani Raghbir Singh had also alleged that Valtoha had asked him not to take any decision against Sukhbir.
Valtoha had also questioned the delay by the Sikh clergy in announcing the 'tankhah' (religious punishment) to the SAD chief.
On August 30, the Akal Takht had declared Sukhbir as 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) for the "mistakes" committed by his party's government from 2007 to 2017.
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