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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab General Secretary and Media In-charge Baltej Pannu has questioned the continued silence of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leaders Sukhbir Singh Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, as well as Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami, over the allegations raised by a woman from Bahrain regarding her stay at an SGPC-run sarai at Sri Anandpur Sahib. Baltej Pannu said he had already held nearly four press conferences on the matter, but the questions raised by the Sikh sangat remained unanswered.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said, “Harsimrat Kaur Badal is participating in programmes and rallies around women’s issues, but there is complete silence on the allegations concerning the woman who stayed in the SGPC sarai for several months. Why is she not answering these questions? Why is there silence when questions are being raised about the treatment of a woman and the use of SGPC resources?”
Baltej Pannu said, “Bikram Singh Majithia is also putting out videos instead of holding press conferences where he would have to face questions from journalists. If Bikram Singh Majithia has answers, he should come before the media and answer the questions.”
Questioning Harjinder Singh Dhami, Baltej Pannu said, “Dhami Sahib has also put out a video instead of facing the media. Today, when the media asked him questions in Patiala, he again said that he would not answer anything about this matter because he had come there for another matter. When will Harjinder Singh Dhami hold a press conference and answer these questions?”
He questioned the four-member inquiry committee constituted by the SGPC and said, “I had raised this question in my previous press conference as well: how will junior people question senior people?”
He said, “The woman has said that she conveyed everything to Harjinder Singh Dhami and Sukhbir Singh Badal. Will this committee question Harjinder Singh Dhami? Will it question Sukhbir Singh Badal? Will it examine what they knew, when they knew it and what action was taken?”
The AAP Punjab Media In-charge said, “If the SGPC genuinely wants a proper investigation, then it should be entrusted to experienced people. A retired Sikh judge or a retired senior police officer could have been asked to conduct the inquiry. Neither are these junior members experts in law nor are they experts in administration. How can a matter involving senior people be properly investigated without an independent and experienced inquiry?”
Baltej Pannu said the SGPC had given the inquiry committee 15 days to submit its report, but questioned whether the move was simply intended to push the matter into the background. “The SGPC has given the committee 15 days. Is the idea that after 10 or 15 days the matter will go into the background and people will forget it? People will not forget this matter. The Sikh community across the world is talking about it, and the issue is also being discussed by Punjabi media channels,” he said.
Nakshab Khan is a senior journalist with nearly two decades of experience in Indian media. Beginning his career in 2007, he has worked with leading news organisations, including Times Now, News18, TV9 Network, IANS, Zee Media, UNI TV. He is currently associated with NewsX Digital as a Deputy Editor.
Over the years, Nakshab has extensively covered politics, international affairs, crime, and public policy. He has special interest in global affairs, with a strong focus on West Asian affairs. He can be reached at nakshab.ali@gmail.com.
