SAD veteran Gobind Singh Longowal hopes for Akali unity when rebels choose new chief
Talking about the upcoming session of the rebels on Aug 11, he said they will elect the new president, and the five-member committee leading the reorganisation had extended an invitation to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to attend the session. "We have always been votaries of unity. Even the Akal Takht has called for panthic unity. That is our guiding principle," said Longowal.
Asked about SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar backing out of the seven-member committee formed by the Akal Takht on Dec 2, 2024, and reducing it to five members, Longowal said they had only bowed before the directions of the Akal Takht.
"We will continue to follow the Sikh clergy's decision," he said.
Longowal did not rule out the possibility of a truce between Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD and the rebel faction, stating that unity was in the best interest of the panth. He added there was no harm in reaching a mutual understanding, as long as core principles and values were upheld.
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Dera Sacha Sauda chief gets parole again
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Chandigarh, Aug 5 (PTI) Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, walked out of Sunaria prison in Haryana's Rohtak on Tuesday after being granted a 40-day parole. Prior to this, Singh has come out of prison 13 times since he was convicted in 2017. This year itself, Singh was granted a 21-day furlough in April and a 30-day parole in January. He will stay at his Sirsa-headquartered Dera during his parole, said Dera spokesperson and advocate Jitender Khurana. After reaching Sirsa under tight security, Singh appealed to his followers in a video message to not turn up at the Dera and adhere to the instructions of the sect elders. Reacting to development, Haryana Minister Anil Vij told reporters here that the parole has been granted strictly in line with the laid-down rules. Vij said all actions are carried out within the legal framework. Singh, who will turn 58 on August 15, was convicted in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. The Dera chief and three others were also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago. By the time Singh returns to jail at the end of his parole, he would have spent three months out of prison this year. He was granted a 21-day furlough in April and a 30-day parole in January this year ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls. He was granted a 20-day parole on October 1 last year, days before the October 5 Haryana assembly polls. In August last year, Singh was granted a 21-day furlough. He was granted a three-week furlough from February 7, 2022, barely two weeks before the Punjab assembly polls. Sikh organisations, like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), have in the past criticised the grant of relief to Singh. On Tuesday, too, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the government was releasing the Dera chief on parole and furlough, whereas 'Bandi Singhs' (Sikh prisoners) continue to be lodged in jails. According to Sikh bodies, 'Bandi Singhs' are those Sikh prisoners who remain in jail even after the completion of their sentences. Dera spokesperson Khurana said parole or furlough has been granted to Singh within the ambit of law by the authorities concerned. 'Even the fresh parole has been granted within that ambit. In the past too, these have been granted within those parameters and no special parole has been given," Khurana said. Prior to Tuesday's parole, Singh has come out of prison 13 times since 2017. On most of these occasions, he has stayed at the Dera's ashram in Barnawa in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat. In May last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted Singh and four others in the 2002 murder of the sect's former manager Ranjit Singh, citing 'tainted and sketchy" investigations into the matter. Earlier, a special CBI court sentenced them to life imprisonment in the nearly 20-year-old murder case. It held Singh guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy with his co-accused. The Sirsa-headquartered Dera Sacha Sauda has a number of followers in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and other states. In Haryana, the Dera has a sizable number of followers in many districts, including Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Hisar. PTI SUN VSD RT RT view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Scroll.in
2 hours ago
- Scroll.in
Assam to drop foreigners tribunal cases against non-Muslims who entered state before 2015, cites CAA
The Assam Government has asked district authorities and members of the foreigners tribunals to drop cases against members of six communities – Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi – who entered the state on or before December 31, 2014, citing the Citizenship Amendment Act. The state's home and political department held a meeting on July 17 and had discussed 'issues related to Foreigners Tribunal with reference to Citizenship Amendment Act' and the 'dropping off cases'. The meeting was held following a directive from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The Citizenship Amendment Act is aimed to provide a fast track to citizenship to refugees from six minority religious communities, except Muslims, from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the condition that they have lived in India for six years and have entered the country by December 31, 2014. It was passed by Parliament in December 2019. The Union government notified the rules under the Act in March 2024. The foreigners tribunals in Assam are quasi-judicial bodies that adjudicate on matters of citizenship based on lineage and a 1971 cut-off date. They rely primarily on documents submitted by persons to establish their family's residency in Assam or India before 1971. The tribunals have been accused of arbitrariness and bias, and declaring people foreigners on the basis of minor spelling mistakes, a lack of documents or lapses in memory. Of the 1.6 lakh persons declared foreigners so far, more than 69,500 are Hindus. The department, under which the border police and the foreigners tribunals function, directed district commissioners, police chiefs and members of the tribunals to submit an action taken report in the matter. 'As per the amendments made to the Citizenship Act, the FTs are not supposed to pursue cases of foreigners belonging to the six specified communities (Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi and Jain communities) who had entered into Assam on or prior to 31.12.2014,' showed the minutes of the meeting signed by Ajay Tiwari, the additional chief secretary, home and political department. Scroll has seen the document. 'It was suggested to drop all such cases,' the minutes added. It added: 'In this regard, the district commissioner and the senior SPs [superintendent of police] should immediately convene a meeting with their respective FT members and also review the developments periodically and submit the action taken report to this department.' The notification sent to district authorities said that 'foreigners should be encouraged and supported' for applying for Indian citizenship as per provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act. It also noted that the Assam government had issued 'clear cut' instructions for withdrawal of all cases filed against persons belonging to the Gorkha and Koch-Rajbongshi communities. 'This should be complied with forthwith,' the government said. In July 2024, the Assam government had asked the state's border police not to forward cases of non-Muslims who had entered India illegally before 2014 to foreigners tribunals. The border police, which investigates citizenship cases, was told by the Assam home department at the time that the undocumented immigrants from the six communities should 'be advised' instead to apply for citizenship on the Citizenship Amendment Act portal, and that their cases would be decided by the Union government. Sarma had said at the time that existing cases would not be dropped. Critics contend that the Citizenship Amendment Act undermines the 1985 Assam Accord between the Union government and the leaders of the Assam Movement, which was launched in 1979 to identify and deport undocumented immigrants. The accord stipulates that anyone who entered Assam after the midnight of March 24, 1971, be identified and deported. Assamese nationalist view 'illegal migrants', irrespective of their religion, as a threat to the state's culture and resources. The Citizenship Amendment Act had sparked massive protests in Assam and several other parts of the country in 2019 and 2020. However, the amended law was welcomed by Assam's Bengali Hindus. In August 2019, Assam published a National Register of Citizens with the aim of separating Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants living in the state. More than 19 lakh persons, or 5.7% of the applicants, were left out of the final list. In March 2024, Sarma said five lakh Bengali Hindus, two lakh Assamese Hindu groups Koch-Rajbongshi, Das, Kalita and Sarma (Assamese), and 1.5 lakh Gorkhas had been left out of the National Register of Citizens. The chief minister had also said that seven lakh Muslims are among the 19 lakh persons excluded from the register. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had claimed that Hindus excluded from the register in Assam would be able to gain citizenship under the amended law. There have been fears that Muslims would be the only ones who stand to lose their citizenship in such an exercise.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
SGPC passes resolution to uphold honour of Takhts
Agency: Amritsar, Aug 5 (PTI) The SGPC on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Jathedars or head priests to uphold the traditional honour, authority, and spiritual significance of the 'takhts' – the highest Sikh institutions. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee held a special general meeting which was attended by head 'granthi' of Harmandar Sahib, Giani Raghbir Singh, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, and nearly 100 SGPC members here. According to a statement, they discussed the dignity and reverence of the takhts and unanimously passed a resolution urging the Jathedars to uphold the traditional honour, authority, and spiritual significance of these highest Sikh institutions. The resolution, presented by the SGPC president, emphasised that the Takhts are the supreme institutions of the Sikh 'Panth' (community) that provide religious, spiritual, moral, and Panthic leadership in accordance with Sikh history, Gurbani, and Gurmat (Guru's wisdom) traditions. While each 'Takht' has its own historical and regional significance, the resolution stressed that all five Takhts operate under one uniform 'gurmat maryada' (code of conduct) and the will of the Guru. The resolution reiterated that the Akal Takht serves not only as the supreme religious institution but also provides guidance on panthic and political matters. While all five Takhts are important in their own right, the 'Panth' collectively recognizes the supremacy of the Akal Takht. Panthic-level decisions are deliberated and finalized by the five 'Singh Sahiban' Akal Takht, while the other Takhts may address local issues as per the Sikh 'rehat maryada'. Accordingly, the SGPC general meeting appealed to the Jathedars to ensure that 'panthic' traditions are not overlooked while making any decisions. The panthic-level issues must be resolved at the Akal Takht, and no interference should occur in local matters of the other Takhts without consultation. If such matters arise, decisions should only be made after thorough discussion involving the respective Takht's Jathedar. In the absence of consensus, no hasty decisions should be taken. Except in urgent situations, meetings of the five 'Singh Sahiban' (high priests) should be announced a few days in advance. If a Jathedar from a Takht is unable to attend, a Singh Sahib from Harmandar Sahib may be included. Notably, a standoff arose between the Akal Takht in Amritsar and the Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar last month after the latter declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the jathedars (high priests) of the Akal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib guilty of religious misconduct. The standoff was resolved after the Takht Patna Sahib withdrew all previous edicts and the Akal Takht too withdrew edicts declaring three members of the Takht Patna Sahib guilty of religious misconduct. There are five temporal seats of Sikhism and Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar is one of them. The Akal Takht in Amritsar is the supreme temporal seat. Meanwhile, the SGPC meeting also condemned the Punjab government's bills on sacrilege, the state's decision to organize 'Gurmat' events on the occasion of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur in parallel to traditional Sikh institutions, and the repeated granting of parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Besides Dhami, former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur, members Rajinder Singh Mehta, Amarjit Singh Chawla, Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Bhagwant Singh Sialka, Jaswant Singh Purain, Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, also addressed the gathering. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dhami said the session was convened on a highly important issue, and all speakers contributed sincerely and meaningfully. He thanked all the SGPC members and expressed hope for continued support in the future. Discussing the resolution, he stated that it is crucial in the current context to ensure that the honour and dignity of the Takhts are not compromised. It is vital to preserve the glorious traditions, principles, practices, collective pride, and significance of Sikh community institutions in their true essence. PTI JMS CHS ZMN (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
