SGPC Executive Rejects Dhami’s Resignation, Urges Reconsideration
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive body, in a meeting held on Friday, decided not to accept the resignation of its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, and urged him to reconsider his decision.
Addressing a press conference, SGPC senior vice-president Ragujit Singh Virk stated that Dhami’s resignation had not been accepted and would remain pending. He further added that an SGPC delegation would soon meet Dhami to persuade him to withdraw his resignation and continue serving as president. Dhami had stepped down from his post on Monday.
Background of Dhami’s Resignation
Dhami’s resignation came in the wake of strong criticism from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh over the SGPC’s decision to dismiss Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. The Akal Takht is the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, and Giani Raghbir Singh had condemned the removal of Harpreet Singh as “highly condemnable” and “unfortunate” in a Facebook post.
Following this, Dhami took moral responsibility for the decision and announced his resignation, stating, "As the president of SGPC, I take full responsibility and resign from my position with immediate effect."
SGPC Defends Its Decision
Meanwhile, Virk defended the SGPC’s actions, clarifying that SGPC Act 125 empowers the executive body to appoint or remove officials within SGPC, including Jathedars of the Akal Takht. He emphasized that the decision to remove Giani Harpreet Singh was made by the executive committee as a whole, not by Dhami alone.
The SGPC dismissed Giani Harpreet Singh on February 10 during an executive committee meeting after reviewing a report submitted by a three-member panel. The committee had been formed to investigate allegations against Harpreet Singh in connection with an 18-year-old domestic dispute case.
Despite the controversy, the SGPC leadership is now attempting to persuade Dhami to reconsider his resignation and continue leading the organization.
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