Patna Sahib Jathedar suspended
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 24
The Takht Patna Sahib management today suspended Giani Iqbal Singh, Jathedar of the Takht, for the second time for rejecting the Nanakshahi calendar and Maryada (Sikh tradition) approved by the SGPC and Akal Takht.

Earlier, Giani Iqbal Singh was suspended in September last year by Raje Singh, officiating secretary, Patna Sahib management, Takht Patna Sahib, on the charge of misappropriating Rs 95 lakh collected during his visit abroad. Mohinder Singh Romana, president of the management, confirmed that the suspension letter had been sent to the Jathedar. He was accused of summoning Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, SGPC chief Avtar Singh and eminent Sikhs at the behest of certain forces. He said Giani Iqbal Singh has so far not floated a trust with the Rs 95 lakh he had collected from US-based Didar Singh Bains. He said the Jathedar had no locus standi to challenge Maryada or Nanakshahi calendar prepared by Sikh leaders.

However, Giani Iqbal Singh claimed president of Takht Patna Sahib had no right to suspend him. “Moreover, Romana is out of station, so he could not pass such orders,” he said.

The Jathedar, Akal Takht, had taken serious view of the controversial edict pronounced by the Sikh clergy of Takht Patna Sahib. Former SGPC secretary Gurbachan Singh Bachan urged the Sikh clergy to ex-communicate Giani Iqbal Singh from the Sikh Panth for challenging the Sikh institutions. Akal Takht Jathedar said Giani Iqbal Singh had no right to take arbitrary decisions.

The SGPC chief, Avtar Singh, has described the controversial edict taken by the Sikh clergy of Patna Sahib as unfortunate. The Chief Khalsa Diwan has also said Giani Iqbal Singh had no locus standi to challenge Maryada and Nanakshahi calendar.

The Sikh clergy of Takht Patna Sahib yesterday took serious view of changing the dates of Gurpurbs as per the Nanakshahi calendar (a solar calendar). Giani Iqbal Singh had claimed that SGPC chief Avtar Singh, Vedanti and the creator of the separate Sikh calendar could be summoned at Takht Patna Sahib if their reply was found unsatisfactory.

Akal Takht had not sent any invitation to Jathedar, Patna Sahib, to attend its meeting on February 6 that reportedly provoked him to issue an edict, challenging the separate Sikh calendar.