Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann Slams SGPC, Warns Against Supporting Akali Dal

Amritsar: At a public function in Majithia on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann delivered a clear message on faith, governance and the future of the constituency while laying the foundation stone for 23 rural link roads worth ₹11.32 crore. The Chief Minister said it would have given him heartfelt happiness if the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) President, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, considered himself as a soldier of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, but expressed concern that he instead calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal. 

What did Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann say?

In the same address, the Chief Minister announced that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Talbir Singh Gill will be the party’s candidate from Majitha for the 2027 Assembly elections, asserting that the people will not allow any attempt to push Punjab back into beadbi (sacrilege) and goondagardi, and that development, dignity and respect for Sri Akal Takht Sahib will remain paramount.

Addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation stone of 23 new rural link roads in Majitha, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Earlier, this area lived under constant fear. A self-proclaimed ‘jarnail’ of the region used false cases as a weapon against ordinary people. With deep connections in both Congress and Akali governments, he unleashed a reign of terror, and people were afraid to speak.” He said that this fear has now completely vanished, as the will of the people is prevailing and such politics has been decisively rejected.

The Chief Minister said that people have charted a new path by rejecting the politics of intimidation pursued by the Majithia and Badal families. He said, “This very Majitha area was once controlled by people who hosted General Dyer for dinner on the same day as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. Such acts of betrayal can never be forgotten. The people of Punjab will never forgive those whose hands were stained with the blood of innocent masses.”

What is Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's warning for Akali Dal? 

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann warned that bringing the Akali Dal back to power would mean dragging Punjab back into a dark era. “It will mean the return of ‘Beadbi’ (sacrilege) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, firing on innocent protestors and atrocities against the common man,” he said. 

He added that it was due to the misdeeds of the Akalis and the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) that the state government was compelled to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the missing 328 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. “Our only objective is to trace the missing saroops. We have no intention of interfering in religious institutions,” he said.

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said it was unfortunate that instead of focusing on his primary responsibilities, the SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Mann was busy making arrangements for political rallies. “Instead of calling himself a soldier of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, he proudly calls himself a soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal. What good can be expected from such a person, who takes pride in serving someone who ruined Punjab with his every move,” he noted.

The Chief Minister reiterated the supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and said, “Sri Akal Takht Sahib is above all of us. That is why I did not attend the function of the President of India and chose instead to appear before the Takht.” He said that unlike his government, the Akalis have repeatedly undermined the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. “Jathedars have been appointed and removed at their whims, dealing a severe blow to the sanctity of these institutions,” he said, while also remarking that Congress leaders have lost their political balance after facing continuous defeats.

What is CM Mann's announcement regarding Talbir Gill?

Making a major announcement from Majitha, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann declared that AAP leader Talbir Singh Gill will be the AAP’s candidate from Majitha in the 2027 Assembly elections. “The time has come for the people of Majitha to move beyond submitting demand letters and start taking decisions themselves,” Bhagwant Singh Mann said, asserting that AAP represents a new politics where people are not petitioners before power but partners in governance. He said that Majitha will now send a representative who believes in decision-making, development and accountability, not intimidation and entitlement.

Highlighting the pro-people initiatives of his government, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “After assuming office in March 2022, our first decision was to provide free electricity to 90 percent of households.” He said that farmers are now receiving uninterrupted power supply, sparing them from venturing out on freezing nights to irrigate their fields. “Punjab today is power surplus. With adequate coal supply and fully functional thermal plants, the state is emerging as a frontrunner in the country,” he said.