AAP MLA Resigns Over Missing Saroops Dispute
Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi has stepped down from his position as chairman of the Punjab State Container and Warehousing Corporation. He announced his resignation on Sunday through a Facebook video message. This move comes directly after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made statements about missing saroops at a local gurdwara.
The Controversial Claims
During a Maghi conference last Wednesday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann revealed some findings from an ongoing investigation. He stated that the Special Investigation Team discovered 169 saroops at the Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Gurdwara in Banga. According to Mann, 79 of these saroops were published before 2012.
"These saroops do not fall into the category of the 328 missing saroops," Mann explained. "The missing saroops date from 2014 to 2019." The Chief Minister provided further details about the discovered saroops. He noted that 107 were published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The remaining 62 saroops came from private printers.
Of the total 169 saroops found, 115 carried serial numbers. The other 54 had no serial numbers at all. AAP state media in-charge Baltej Pannu later clarified the records. He stated that records exist for 30 saroops. Twenty were given to one Pind gurdwara. Ten went to another gurdwara in Banga.
Gurdwara Management's Response
The gurdwara management strongly denied the Chief Minister's claims. They issued a statement challenging the narrative. "Only 30 saroops available with us were printed between 2014 and 2015," they asserted. "These were installed in 2019."
The management explained what happened to those saroops. They deposited 30 worn-out saroops at Goindwal Sahib. In return, they received 20 new saroops. Ten additional saroops came from the sangat of Dosanjh Khurd village. The village took these from the SGPC originally. Later, they handed the saroops to the gurdwara. The village could not maintain them properly.
"Not a single missing saroop is with us," the management declared firmly.
Sukhi's Stand and Resignation
Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi took a different position from the Chief Minister. He expressed his views clearly on social media. "There has been no violation of maryada at the site," Sukhi stated. "I am here to clear doubts of everyone. This place cannot be involved in wrongdoing. It should not be dragged into any controversy."
In his resignation video, Sukhi made his intentions clear. "I come here every day. I have come here today," he said in the emotional message. "I want to announce here that this place is not about politics for me. I announce my resignation as the CONWARE chairman. I also resign from the Cabinet rank."
Sukhi expressed a personal mission. "I pray to God to give me strength. I need to tell Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann the truth. I must also speak to the top leadership of the AAP about the reality of this place."
Political Background and Current Status
Dr Sukhi serves as the MLA for Banga. He won his seat on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket during the 2022 Assembly elections. However, he made a significant political shift in August 2024. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party at that time.
Sources indicate Sukhi met with Chief Minister Mann recently. The meeting took place at Mann's residence on Friday. They discussed the saroops issue thoroughly. However, no resolution emerged from their conversation.
Sukhi submitted his resignation from the Vidhan Sabha as well. The Speaker has not accepted this resignation yet. The political implications of his resignation remain uncertain. The controversy continues to develop as different parties maintain their positions.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions within Punjab's political landscape. It also demonstrates the sensitive nature of religious matters in state politics. All eyes remain on how this disagreement will affect the ruling party's dynamics.
