SGPC President Dhami Faces Religious Penalty, Cleans Devotees' Footwear at Golden Temple
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Amritsar, Dec 25 (NationPress) Five Sikh high priests, spearheaded by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, on Wednesday delivered a religious penalty, commonly known as tankhah, to Sriomani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami for allegedly making inappropriate comments about Bibi Jagir Kaur, a three-time head of the gurdwara management organization.
This self-imposed penalty arrives shortly after Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal was found guilty of religious misconduct by the high priests. The former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab was mandated to clean utensils and shoes in various gurdwaras, including the most sacred Sikh site, Harmandar Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which he complied with.
Earlier on that day, SGPC chief Dhami visited the Akal Takht and had a discussion with the Akal Takht Jathedar prior to addressing the high priests, who instructed him to wash dishes and clean the shoes of devotees for an hour at the Golden Temple.
Immediately after the religious directive was issued, the SGPC leader, who accepted the ruling, carried out the mandated tasks in the Golden Temple.
Prior to this, Dhami had expressed remorse for using inappropriate language and presented an apology letter to the Akal Takht.
Before the religious penalty was enacted, Punjab State Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lali Gill had sent a notice to the SGPC President for making offensive remarks. Gill stated that the commission took suo-motu cognizance of an audio clip circulating on social media, in which Dhami reportedly used abusive and disrespectful language during a phone call with a journalist.
"The comments were not only personally slanderous but also demeaning towards women in general," she emphasized, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The commission stressed that Dhami, as the leader of a respected institution like the SGPC, is expected to maintain the highest levels of respect and dignity.
"Such remarks are unbefitting of his position and convey a harmful message to society," she added.
Dhami appeared in person and submitted a written explanation to the commission, which has yet to announce its decision.
Bibi Jagir Kaur also attended the commission session and insisted that Dhami should face legal consequences after acknowledging his wrongdoing in using offensive language. "He should not be allowed to escape without repercussions," she stated.
