Terming her suspension illegal and unconstitutional, the Shiromani Akali Dal’s “under suspension” leader Bibi Jagir Kaur on Sunday said that restoring the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) reputation as a free, autonomous, and panthic organization will be her first priority if elected the president of the Sikhs’ apex body.
As Kaur refused to reconsider her stand on contesting the SGPC presidential poll, the Akali Dal softened its stand on Sunday giving the senior leader and former Minister “another opportunity to present her point of view”.
The party’s disciplinary committee has, in fact, asked her to reply to the show-cause notice issued to her for anti-party activities in-person at the SAD headquarters in Chandigarh on Monday.
Kaur, who was SGPC chief in 1999, 2004, and 2020, also released her agenda for the November 9 poll to the apex gurdwara body’s top post in Jalandhar.
Notably, Kaur was suspended from the Akali Dal on Wednesday after she dug her heels for contesting the election, against the party's wishes. SAD had earlier issued a two-day ultimatum to Kaur to stop “'anti-party'” activities, failing which, it said, strict disciplinary action would be taken against her.
But Kaur did not reply to the showcause notice issued to her despite the party giving her two opportunities.
SAD's disciplinary committee on Sunday granted an extension to Kaur for replying to the notice in-person by Monday noon. Extending an invitation to Kaur to explain her point of view, SAD disciplinary committee head Sikander Singh Maluka said: “This is being done so that a personal hearing can be given to Bibiji.”
Kaur, addressing the media in Jalandhar, called her suspension by the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led party “'unconstitutional”, and released her manifesto for the SGPC presidential poll.
“'Tell me, what is my fault? According to which clause of the party's constitution have I been suspended,”' she said replying to a question on her suspension and asked ''who complained against me''.
She also questioned the constitution of the disciplinary committee when the party's organisational structure had been dissolved.
Asked if she will appear before the disciplinary committee, Kaur said, “I should have been called before the suspension. What is the use of calling now?”
SAD on Friday announced incumbent Harjinder Singh Dhami as its candidate for the post of president of the apex gurdwara body. Its move came after Kaur refused to reconsider her move of contesting the poll. SAD's decision to announce its candidate was also a marked departure from the practice of declaring its nominee on the day of the poll.
The party had earlier slammed National Commission for Minorities Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura for allegedly seeking support for Kaur's candidature for forthcoming poll and trying to break the SGPC.
Kaur, once considered a loyalist of the Badal family, had been pressing to be the party's nominee for the SGPC presidential poll.