Acting Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib Giani Gurmukh Singh has been removed from the post and the charge given to head granthi of Gurdwara Muktsar Sahib Harpreet Singh. He also loses the post of head granthi of the Golden Temple. The head granthi of Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh in Amritsar will now hold dual charge.

These decisions were taken by the SGPC executive at a six-hour-long meeting here today. Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC chief, said Giani Gurmukh Singh had flouted Sikh “maryada” and issued controversial statements. Besides, he had not attended any of the meetings convened by other Takht heads.

Giani Gurmukh Singh refused comment, saying he had yet to get an official letter. A product of Damdami Taksal, he had last week accused SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal of “managing” an apology for the controversial Sirsa dera head Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. “The SGPC-appointed Takht jathedars always take decisions under political pressure and I don’t want to be a part of any of these,” he had said.

Sources claimed initially five executive members opposed his removal. After deliberations, three of them relented. But Surjit Singh Kalabula and Gurcharan Singh Grewal continued to hold that all Takht heads be removed as the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ had appointed parallel jathedars, and this had created confusion. As a face-saver, the executive committee decided to shift Giani Gurmukh Singh as head granthi of Gurdwara Nauwin Patshahi Dhamtan Sahib in Haryana’s Jind district.

Giani Harpreet Singh new acting Jathedar

Following the Nanakshahi calendar row, Giani Gurmukh was given additional charge of Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, in January 2015.

Giani Harpreet Singh, Granthi at Muktsar, has been given additional charge of Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib replacing Giani Gurmukh Singh.

Giani Gurmukh Singh has been shifted to Haryana.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee here.

It may be mentioned that Giani Gurmukh Singh had gone on record alleging the Takht jathedars were being dictated by Parkash singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal. He had levelled this charge in the context of exoneration of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh that angered the Sikhs. The decision had to be hastily withdrawn.