Convicted for forcing her daughter to undergo an abortion and also for abduction and criminal conspiracy in the murder case, Punjab’s former Cabinet Minister Bibi Jagir Kaur is the new president of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal’s women wing.
Finding its strength from ‘Nanhi Chhan’ programme aimed at protecting the girl child, the party has elected a “tainted” women leader as president of the Istri Akali Dal (SAD’s women wing) who had to put in her papers from the state cabinet after being sentenced five-year imprisonment for alleged honour killing — a decision that surprised many.
Owing allegiance to the party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, her name was announced a day before in party’s new organizational structure. Bibi Jagir Kaur, Bholath MlA, is presently out on bail.
She was also facing charges for murdering her own daughter, but the court of special CBI judge, Patiala, Balbir Singh acquitted her of the same 12 years after the death of her daughter, on March 30, 2012.
Bibi Jagir Kaur, the president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) — Sikhs’ mini parliament — had to retire from her post after accusations of murder of her own daughter who died under mysterious circumstances on 20 April, 2000.
Though Bibi Jagir Kaur had claimed that her 19-year-old daughter, Harpreet Kaur, had died while being taken to hospital while suffering from a severe bout of food poisoning, Kamaljit Singh, who claimed to be Harpreet’s husband, alleged her of eliminating her own daughter as she married against Bibi’s wishes.
The five-year rigorous imprisonment had not only brought down curtains for Bibi Jagir Kaur in the Badal cabinet, but had also brought huge embarrassment for the SAD-BJP Government which was fêting and patting its own back for coming back to power with people’s mandate.
A senior Akali leader, requesting anonymity, defended Jagir Kaur’s appointment saying that the matter was subjudice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. “She has challenged her sentence and is presently out on bail…one can’t be held accused till it’s decided….she had been SGPC chief and had been cabinet minister twice…she is a senior female leader of our party,” said the leader.
She has been credited for being the first woman ever to be elected twice as chief of Sikh’s mini parliament. Her political career started in 1995 by joining Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD, and was elected from Bholath constituency in 1997 and appointed Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister in Badal’s Cabinet.
Winning the Assembly polls this time too, Badal had reposed his faith in her and given Cabinet berth to Bibi but she had to resign following her conviction.
“SAD has become a party of criminals over the period of time…despite facing such serious allegations, she was given ticket to contest assembly polls, and after winning by using unfair means, she was given a cabinet berth. And now, while facing five-year sentence for aborting her daughter’s child, she has been appointed head of women wing of a party that made huge claims of protecting nanhi chhan,” said a Congress leader.