Amritsar: The officiating jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, has directed Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Karnail Singh Panjoli to refrain from meeting Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann over the issue of the release of Sikh prisoners, saying that he had been declared “Guru dokhi and Khalsa Panth virodhi” by Akal Takht.In a letter to Panjoli, the Akal Takht secretariat said the Panth needed to unite and launch an organised struggle under the leadership of Akal Takht to secure the release of Bandi Singhs.The letter was issued in response to Panjoli’s communication dated Oct 6, seeking permission to meet the chief minister. It stated that, as a member and representative of the SGPC, a Sikh religious institution, it was his primary responsibility to comply with the directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.The letter stated that the Punjab govt was politicising the issue of the release of the Bandi Singhs. Panjoli was asked to consider whether the state govt could secure the release of Sikh prisoners who had been incarcerated for three decades or more during the few months remaining in its tenure.
