Sacked ‘Panj Pyaras’ welcome verdict

Amritsar : Welcoming the court verdict in Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s case, Akal Takht’s sacked ‘Panj Pyaras’ (five beloved ones) questioned the integrity of five Takht heads on the issue of flip-flop on exonerating the dera head.
The Panj Pyaras — Satnam Singh Kanda, Major Singh, Satnam Singh, Tarlok Singh and Mangal Singh — were dismissed from service by the SGPC allegedly for “out-stepping their jurisdiction” by ordering the removal of the Takht heads.
In an unprecedented move, allegedly influenced by persistent pressure from Sikh radicals and other sections of the Sikh community, Akal Takht had to revoke its September 24, 2015, decision to exonerate Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 blasphemy case. Satnam Singh Kanda said, “We have no regrets over our stand. The CBI court had presented an exemplary verdict to punish the Dera Sirsa head, but our Takht heads have damaged the sanctity of Akal Takht by pronouncing the politically influenced decisions.” While not endorsing the authority of “parallel” jathedars, he said such controversial decisions ended up creating confusion among the Sikh community and they had lost faith in Takht heads.