In a major development, Giani Raghbir Singh on Friday was made the new 'Jathedar' (chief) of the highest Sikh temporal seat Sri Akal Takht Sahib. Giani Raghubir Singh will be succeeding Giani Harpreet Singh who was the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib before him. Notably, Giani Raghbir Singh has previously served as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib. The decision to take Giani Raghubir Singh as the chief of Sri Akal Takht Saheb was taken by an interim committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) during an emergency meeting. The SGPC is expected to hold a press conference shortly to provide more details.
As per reports, there has been dissatisfaction with Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, especially from the Akali Dal, for some time. Among the many issues, a major row erupted when Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh attended the engagement ceremony of Raghav Chadha, an AAP Member of Parliament. Reports further suggest that Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had been raising questions about the focus on political interests rather than upholding the path of the Akali Dal.
It has also been reported that Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh voluntarily stepped down from his position. However, the confirmation on voluntarily stepping is yet to come.
For the unversed, before his appointment as Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh served as the head priest of the Golden Temple. In August 2017, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee appointed him as the acting Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib. At that time, he replaced Jathedar Giani Phoola Singh, who had taken charge after the passing of Jathedar Giani Mal Singh. Now, after six years, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has been given the responsibility of leading Sri Akal Takht Sahib as the Jathedar.
Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had additional responsibilities at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, while he served as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. It is pertinent to mention here that Giani Harpreet Singh will continue to serve as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. Notably, Giani Harpreet Singh delivered his final address as the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star on June 6.