AMRITSAR — Despite having agreed to not allow Giani Gurbachan Singh to address the Sikh community from the platform of Akal Takht on the eve of Op Bluestar anniversary, SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar let him read his sandesh at the 33rd martyrdom anniversary of June 1984 holocaust.
According to Simranjit Singh Mann, Badungar had assured us that the head priest of the Golden Temple would be asked to address the community.
However, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal mounted pressure on Badungar and forced him to send Giani Gurbachan Singh to address the community instead of the head priest, claimed Mann.
Mann alleged that Sukhbir Badal had a plan to foment trouble in the Golden Temple premises.
“But our men foiled their nefarious designs as the anniversary of Operation Bluestar passed off peacefully,” he claimed.
Giani Gurbachan Singh had to face sharp wrath of Sikh masses as soon as he stood up to deliver his customary speech. Giani Gurbachan Singh gave his short speech, Sikh sangat started raising jakare, making his speech completely inaudible.
The SGPC task force and police in plainclothes kept a watch.
Later, Jathedar Mand’s supporters made arrangements and he read out the message in front of the Akal Takht in the presence of Mann and Bhai Baljit Singh Daduwal, who was appointed acting jathedar of the Takht Damdama Sahib by Sarbat Khalsa held in 2016.
“Nobody has come here to listen to Giani Gurbachan Singh. He has lost our trust. This is why there were protests. We need to remove him.”
The memorial dedicated to the shaheeds killed during the 1984 Army action on the Golden Temple witnessed a steady stream of visitors.