After waiting for more than a year and a half, Jathedar Avtar Singh Hitt, President of the Takht Harmandir Ji Patna Sahib Committee, in a press meet politely but sternly urged the former Jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib -Giani Iqbal Singh to vacate the premises he continues to occupy illegally since his resignation on 3 March 2019. Giani Iqbal Singh says, “I am still the Jathedar and I will follow the orders of the District judge Patna, in whose case his “resignation case” is pending.

AT A SPECIALLY-CONVENED PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE OFFICES OF TAKHT PATNA SAHIB, flanked by office bearers of the body, Jathedar Hitt warned Giani Iqbal Singh that should he not vacate the premises and continue to create a nuisance, then he will be responsible for the consequences.

He said that “since the last 15 days, the office bearers have been making serious and polite attempts to approach Giani Iqbal Singh to get the two-room residential accommodation vacated in the possession of former Jathedar Giani Iqbal Singh.”

“We have tried all means to get repossession of the place. Very politely and respectfully we told him that you are away since the last year and a half and you have no right over this place. If there is any judicial verdict in your favour, you may come again, but as of now, you have no right to be on the premises.”

Without calling Giani Iqbal Singh a Mahant, Jathedar Hitt added that “The total rent for the place runs into lakhs of rupees. His resignation was accepted under the directions from Akal Takht Sahib.  We fear that a Nankana Sahib kind of situation is being built. We are clear that there should be no nonsense at Takht Sahib and the peaceful atmosphere should be maintained.”

Giving details, Jathedar Hitt elaborated that initially, the team of Jagroop Singh and Inderjeet Singh tried to reason with Giani Iqbal Singh, but he did not budge. Then General Secretary Mohinder Pal Singh Dhillon, Joint Secretary Chabbra and Vice President Inderjeet Singh tried to persuade him again, telling him that he was obstructing the functioning of Takht Sahib. Giani Iqbal Singh, sticking to his ground, replied, “Whatever the custodian -the district judge will decide, I will abide by that.”

“The total rent for the place runs into lakhs of rupees. His resignation was accepted under the directions from Akal Takht Sahib.  We fear that a Nankana Sahib kind of situation is being built. We are clear that there should be no nonsense at Takht Sahib and the peaceful atmosphere should be maintained.”

Giani Iqbal Singh is citing Section 73 of the Byelaws of Takht Harmandir Ji Patna Sahib Committee, but Jathedar Hitt clarified that “this is untenable.”

Moreover, once a direction has come from Akal Takht Sahib, there is no more to it. We appeal to all Sangats in Mumbai, Delhi and elsewhere that Giani Iqbal Singh is not listening and they should use their good offices to convince him to vacate the premises and not create tension at the Takht Patna Sahib.

Sounding an alarm, Jathedar Avtar Singh, who was earlier a leader of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, categorically warned, “We are Sewadars of the Sikh community. Anything untoward would be a blot on us. We do not intend to use force and no one can blame us for this. If there is anyone who violates the sanctity of the place, it is Giani Iqbal Singh and not us. I appeal to Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and the Jathedar of Takht Anandpur Sahib also to persuade him to see reason, otherwise, the situation will deteriorate.”