Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has slammed Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh for ‘provoking’ people through an ultimatum to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led Punjab government to release all Sikhs youths who were held during the police crackdown against Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and his associates.

Retorting to the Punjab CM, the Jathedar said that he has the right and duty to speak about “innocent” Sikh youths.

During the police hunt, on Sunday, the police officials said that it released 197 people out of a total of 353 who were taken into preventive custody on the apprehension of breach of peace and disturbance of law and order.

Punjab CM hit out at Akal Takht Jathedar

The chief minister has also accused the Jathedar of “favouring” the Badals and also told him that the Badals had “used” several Jathedars for their “vested interests.”

Further, he told the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, Akal Takht Jathedar that it would be better if he had issued the ultimatum in the sacrilege and missing ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib.

Bhagwant Mann’s comment comes a day after when the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had given a 24-hour ultimatum to the AAP-led Punjab government to release all Sikh youths who were held during the police crackdown against Amritpal Singh and his associates.

Moreover, the Jathedar had also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few persons during the police hunt.

Taking to Twitter, Punjab CM wrote, “Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib ji. Everyone knows you and SGPC have been favouring the Badals. Look at the history, many Jathedars were used by the Badals for their own interests. It would have been better had you given the ultimatum for the sacrilege and missing ‘saroops’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji instead of provoking happily living people.” The incidents related to the theft of a ‘bir’ (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.”

According to the reports, in a separate incident, 329 ‘saroop’ of Guru Granth Sahib had gone missing from the records of the publication house of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee.

Also Read: Ultimatum For Punjab Government; ‘Release Supporters of Amritpal Singh in Next 24-Hours’ Says Akal Takht Jathedar

‘The ultimatum’

On Tuesday, sharing a post on Facebook, the Jathedar wrote, “Bhagwant Maan ji as you represent Punjab, I am also a humble representative of my ‘qaum’ (community).” “I also have the right and my duty to speak about the rights of the innocent youth of my ‘qaum’,” said the Jathedar.

While referring to the ultimatum, he said, “First, let’s save Punjab together and unite the mothers waiting for their innocent sons who have been put in jail and get their blessings.”