CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Thursday questioned SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami’s demand for a CBI inquiry into the matter concerning a woman’s eight-month stay at the SGPC-run sarai in Sri Anandpur Sahib, asking why the SGPC was unwilling to cooperate with the Punjab Police, which is already investigating the matter. AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said that instead of seeking an inquiry by another agency, Harjinder Singh Dhami should answer the basic questions surrounding the woman’s stay and provide the Punjab Police with all relevant records available with the SGPC.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said, “Harjinder Singh Dhami, who considers himself a ‘soldier of Sukhbir Singh Badal’, has failed to answer basic questions raised about the matter and is now seeking a CBI inquiry instead of providing the relevant records to the Punjab Police. The central questions are why the woman was brought to Sri Anandpur Sahib, who arranged her stay, why she remained there for eight months, and why the SGPC provided her a vehicle, a sewadar and other expenses.”
The AAP Punjab Media In-charge said Harjinder Singh Dhami had also failed to explain the transfer of ₹1 lakh from an SGPC account to the woman’s account, a matter that had already been raised in an earlier press conference. “Why is the SGPC seeking a CBI probe when the records needed to establish the facts are within the organisation itself? The sarai registers should clearly show who recommended the woman’s stay, who authorised her accommodation and who approved the other arrangements made for her,” he said.
He said the SGPC should provide the Punjab Police with complete details of the vehicle provided to the woman, the sewadar assigned to her, the expenditure incurred on her stay and all related financial transactions.
Baltej Pannu questioned why the SGPC President was seeking a CBI investigation instead of allowing the Punjab Police investigation to proceed.
Referring to the CBI’s earlier investigation into the 2015 beadbi cases, he said that after the investigation was handed over to the agency, the CBI eventually filed a closure report. He said the experience raised questions about whether transferring the present matter to another agency would also result in the issue being pushed into the background. “This matter cannot simply be pushed aside by handing it over to another agency. There are serious questions about what happened at the Sri Anandpur Sahib sarai, and those questions require transparency and answers,” he said.
Baltej Pannu also questioned the statements of Akali Dal (Badal) leader Bunty Romana. He said Bunty Romana had claimed that the woman approached Sukhbir Singh Badal and that she was asked to approach the police and get an FIR registered. “If the Akali Dal (Badal) leadership wanted the woman to approach the police and register an FIR, then why is the CBI now being presented as the appropriate agency for this matter? If the CBI was the preferred agency, why was she not directed there in the first place?” he asked.
The AAP Punjab Media In-charge also questioned the recent press conference of SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, saying that several questions concerning the matter remained unanswered. “Harjinder Singh Dhami cannot repeatedly demand a CBI inquiry while avoiding questions about the SGPC’s own records, financial transactions and arrangements made for the woman. The SGPC has the records. It should hand them over to the Punjab Police and allow the investigation to establish the facts,” he said.
He said the matter was different from other controversies and alleged scams that had previously been raised in connection with the SGPC, including the dry-rotis, vegetable, ghee and building-related controversies. “This is not a matter that can simply be buried by putting a layer of dust over it. The Sikh community has serious concerns about what happened at a place as sacred as Sri Anandpur Sahib,” he said.
Baltej Pannu said Sikh intellectuals and young people had been raising questions about the matter and their concerns should not be ignored.
He also questioned why no action had been taken against those continuing to target and harass the woman on social media. “If the SGPC believes that there were no irregularities, then there should be no hesitation in providing every relevant document and record to the Punjab Police. Transparency will establish the facts,” he said.
Baltej Pannu said if Harjinder Singh Dhami believed that irregularities had taken place, the SGPC should immediately provide the Punjab Police with all relevant sarai registers, account details and records concerning the vehicle, sewadar and expenditure. “Instead of trying to make this matter disappear through a CBI inquiry, the SGPC should provide all its records to the Punjab Police and allow the investigation to establish the truth,” he said.