Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Eternal Throne, AT) Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj has summoned Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to appear before the AT secretariat on 15 Jan. The Jathedar announced, 'You (Mann) deliberately displayed an anti-Sikh mentality by repeatedly making highly objectionable remarks against the Guru Ki Golak (donation boxes) bestowed by the Guru Sahiban (Honorable Sikh Sovereigns), thereby deeply wounding Sikh sentiments.' Charges against Mann include an alleged video in which a person looking like Mann is seen committing a sacrilege with pictures of Sikh Gurus and former Damdami Taksal (Sikh seminary) head Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. It is not verified if the video is original or AI-generated. The Jathedar added, 'Since you are a patit (apostate) and, as per Sikh tradition, cannot be brought to the podium of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, you are summoned to appear in person at the secretariat.' The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and many Sikh scholars define someone with shorn hair as apostate, though in the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture and charter, GGS) a fallen one implies all struggling beings. An apostate is the one who breaks the promise after initiation. Mann has accepted the summons and promised to appear. On 29 Dec 2025, Mann had accused the SGPC of failing to find the 328 missing GGS saroops (tomes) and accused it of 'using the Akal Takht as a shield' to protect its 'masters’, implying Shiromani Akali Dal. On 1 Jan, the Panjab police arrested Satinder Singh Kohli, former internal auditor of SGPC in connection with the missing saroops. On 4 Jan, the police arrested Kanwaljit Singh, former assistant supervisor of the SGPC publishing house. Ironically, in 2020, Kanwaljit's statement had led human rights advocacy group Punjab Human Rights Organisation to expose the saroop scam. In the last few days, the Special Investigation Team probing the missing saroops has conducted raids at 15 locations across Panjab. The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has objected to ‘government interference in the affairs of the Sikh body’. He had earlier said that AT had investigated the matter of missing saroops and departmental action had been taken as per AT’s report and recommendations (earlier coverage).
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