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SGPC executive suspends Akal Takht chief Ranjit Singh

Akal Takht jathedar Ranjit Singh was today suspended and a Golden Temple priest, Puran Singh, appointed acting jathedar by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee executive which met in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

The executive, dominated by supporters of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, served a one-month notice on Bhai Ranjit Singh to explain his conduct as jathedar of the supreme religio-temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Tomorrow's meeting of the Sikh clergy will be held as scheduled. It will review the December 31 hukamnama (edict) issued by Ranjit Singh, calling upon Badal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra to hold truce in their political feud till April 15.

The SGPC executive, which met without waiting for the outcome of Tohra's petition in the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging today's meeting, also endorsed the request of 131 Badal supporters in the 185-member SGPC general house calling upon the Akal Takht chief to review and withdraw his hukamnama.

Sources close to the executive members said the review petition of the 131 members will also be taken up for review by the Sikh clergy tomorrow.

Earlier, the SGPC executive had named Giani Mohan Singh, head priest of the Golden Temple, to take over as acting jathedar of the Takht. But Mohan Singh refused to take up the assignment.

Mohan Singh said he is with Ranjit Singh, and he had categorically told SAD (Badal) leaders and SGPC members yesterday that he would not accept the post. He also termed Ranjit Singh's removal as being "against Panthic traditions".

Mohan Singh's adamant stand forced the SGPC executive to turn to Giani Puran Singh, another priest at the Golden Temple, to become acting jathedar. Puran Singh accepted the post.

UNI

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