In a bold move that challenges the religious edict of the Akal Takht, Amritsar BJP leader Jagmohan Raju has formally requested an appointment with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhism, had on June 15 declared Mann a 'Guru Dokhi' and 'Khalsa Panth Virodhi', directing all Sikhs to sever ties with him.
Raju's Justification for Meeting
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Raju explained his decision to seek the meeting despite the religious directive. He stated that his request pertains to the urgent matter of ensuring educational access for nearly 1,00,000 children from poor and Scheduled Caste backgrounds under the Right to Education Act.
Raju, a former bureaucrat who recently resigned as vice-president of the Punjab BJP, wrote: 'I am fully aware that Sri Akal Takht Sahib has declared the Chief Minister ‘Guru Dokhi’ and ‘Panth Virodhi’ and has directed Sikhs not to have any association with him. As a Sikh, I hold Sri Akal Takht Sahib in the highest reverence. Yet, when the educational future of nearly one lakh poor Dalit children is at stake, my conscience does not permit me to remain passive.'
He further added: 'I am fully conscious that meeting the Chief Minister may invite the displeasure and censure of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Nevertheless, for the sake of Punjab's poor children and their constitutional right to education, I am prepared to bear that consequence.'
The Akal Takht Edict
The Akal Takht's declaration against Mann followed a meeting of the five Singh Sahiban presided over by officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj in Amritsar. The religious order cited a controversial video allegedly showing Mann sprinkling alcohol on a portrait of the 10 Gurus and an image of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Mann had earlier told the Singh Sahiban in January that the video was AI-generated, but the Akal Takht claimed it had the footage examined by two government-authorised labs after Mann failed to produce his own forensic report.
Mann has rejected the edict and denied being the man in the video. In a video message, he accused those occupying the highest positions of religious bodies of indulging in false propaganda at the behest of their political bosses to defame him.
Political Reactions
The opposition has seized on the Akal Takht's order. Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon stated that the party's Sikh Union ministers would also refrain from holding meetings with Mann until he accepts the Akal Takht's directives and apologises.
Raju, a retired IAS officer and former general secretary of the Punjab BJP, had resigned from his organisational post earlier this month, citing his desire to devote more time to public causes, including the education rights of poor children and the protection of constitutional rights for Scheduled Castes and Sikhs. As of now, neither the BJP nor the Chief Minister's office has responded to Raju's action.
