Backed By Sukhbir Badal, Gobind Singh Longowal Re-elected As SGPC President For Third Time In Row

Gobind Singh Longowal was on Wednesday (27 November) re-appointed president, third time in a row, of the cash-rich Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The decision was taken at the annual meeting of the SGPC general house held inside the Golden Temple complex here.

His name was proposed by former SGPC president Jagir Kaur and seconded by Alwinder Pal Singh Pakhoke.

However, his unanimous election took place in the absence of opposition that had staged a walkout from the meeting. Sukhdev Singh Bhaur along with other opposition members had demanded for a debate on incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, and chose to walk out when it was denied.

At the time of election, 154 out of 170 members were present in the meeting.

A day earlier, the SGPC members authorised Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal to decide on the appointment of the SGPC president.

Longowal was appointed SGPC president for the first time in November 2017 and again in November last year.

Harjinder Singh Dhami and Rajinder Singh Mehta were re-elected general secretary and senior vice-president, respectively, of the SGPC.

The SGPC, considered a mini-parliament of Sikh religious affairs, has an annual budget of nearly Rs 1,200 crore.

The SGPC, which has control over Sikh religious affairs, manages gurdwaras in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, including the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple, in Amritsar.

(With inputs from IANS)