CHANDIGARH: Harjinder Singh Dhami on Monday resigned as the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) following condemnation from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh regarding the sacking of Giani Harpreet Singh from Takht Damdama Sahib by the SGPC executive committee, which Dhami chairs.
Expressing his commitment to the Akal Takht, Dhami requested to be removed from the seven-member committee established by the Akal Takht the previous year to oversee the reorganization of SAD.
In a recent social media post on the termination of services of Giani Harpreet Singh, Jathedar Raghbir Singh had said, “Once again, I want to say from my heart that terminating the services of Giani Harpreet Singh is an extremely condemnable and unfortunate act which has harmed the independent existence of the Takht Sahibs.”
Dhami shared the post and dubbed the removal “highly condemnable” and “unfortunate”. After this statement of the Giani Raghbir Singh, I take moral responsibility for the decision and resign from the top post of SGPC on moral grounds with immediate effect,’’ he said.
Dhami added that he had written to the Akal Takht Jathedar to relieve him from his position in the seven-member committee formed to supervise the new membership drive of the SAD.
Reacting to the decision to terminate Harpreet Singh’s services which subjected the SGPC and SAD leaders to backlash from across the community, Dhami said, “In the executive committee meeting there was detailed discussion on this issue. All the member express their views. This is not the first time that the executive committee has terminated the services of a jathedar.”