AMRITSAR — Amid tight security, the three ‘Jathedars’ appointed by ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ last year paid obeisance at Akal Takht today. They are acting Akal Takht Jathedar Dhian Singh Mand, Takht Kesgarh Jathedar Amrik Singh Ajnala and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Baljit Singh Daduwal.
Strict security measures were taken by the SGPC as well as the Amritsar District Administration in order to control any untoward incident but the trio Jathedars paid obeisance without any trouble. A large number of police remained deployed outside Sri Darbar Sahib and other parts of the city.
Led by Amritsar police commissioner AS Chahal, police officials, all in civvies, watched the proceedings closely, intervening only when necessary so as to keep the situation under control. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials, along with their task force, moved along with the Jathedars inside the shrine often getting involved in verbal duels.
Acting Jathedar Bhai Mand said that the authorities tried to prevent them from reaching the Golden Temple and even after arriving here, they had to jostle to pay obeisance.
Bhai Mohkam Singh (President of United Akali Dal), Bhai Satnam Singh Manawa (United Akali Dal), Prof. Harbir Singh, Bhai Jarnail Singh Sakhira (District President of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar) and others were accompanying the Jathedars on this occasion.
At the Clock Tower entrance of the shrine, Bhai Mohkam Singh presented “siropas” to the three jathedars.
Plan to open office near Golden Temple
They formally announced the setting up of an office in the vicinity of the Golden Temple.
Though Jathedar Mand did not elaborate on the location and working profile of the office, he categorically stated that it would attend to the religious problems being faced by the Sikhs. He hoped that the attempt would once again restore the golden era of the Khalsa Panth.
He accused the government of adopting a posture of confrontation despite the announcement that their movement was purely peaceful and religious.
Jathedar Mand stated that they would return to the Akal Takht to carry out religious obligations to be held to commemorate the victims killed during the Bluestar Operation on June 6.
When questioned over the move of the ‘Jathedars’, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh refused to comment. He said it fell in the jurisdiction of the SGPC. He, however, stated that the entire Sikh sangat knew who the real Jathedars were.