AMRITSAR: Gobind Singh Longowal has won the presidential post in the recently held Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) election by defeating Amrik Singh by a margin of 15 votes. Longowal has been the vice president of Punjab's former ruling party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the last 10 years. The apex gurdwara body is controlled by the Parkash Singh Badal party, given its majority in the general house.
The vote took place after objections were raised over Longowal's direct selection for the post. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has now said the elected leader is no longer guilty. He said there is nothing wrong in electing him as the new president. The statement came in response to the opposition of several Sikh bodies who argued that Longowal cannot hold the post because he served 'tankhah' (religious punishment) ordered by the Akal Takht for visiting Sirsa Dera Saccha Sauda to seek votes in the previous assembly elections. Singh said, “Once a person accepts his guilt and serves the punishment awarded to him, he no longer remains guilty.
He also added that since Longowal accepted his guilt before the Sri Darbar Sahib (Amritsar Golden Temple) and performed the sewa assigned to him “as per the Sikh maryada, he is now a Sikh without any guilt. He can now be accepted into the Sangat.” In response to demands made by Sikh bodies opposing Longowal's claim that he had submitted a written clarification stating he never visited the dera, Giani Singh said, “Longowal might have submitted the clarification after the 'tankhah' was announced.” Meanwhile, spokesperson of Dal Khalsa, Kanwar Pal Singh, said, “Even if Logowal has completed the tankhah, his inner conscience is questionable because he had visited the anti-panthic cult (Sirsa dera) for votes and compromised with all ethics and tenets of Sikhism.”
