Amritsar, Punjab | June 8, 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann launched a scathing attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership on Sunday, accusing them of turning the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) into a money-centered institution. Referring to it sarcastically as the “Shiromani Golak Prabandhak Committee,” Mann alleged that greed and political manipulation under the Akalis have eroded the sanctity of the premier Sikh religious body.
Addressing a public gathering in Amritsar, CM Mann accused the Badal family and Akali leaders of exploiting their political dominance to interfere in the internal religious affairs of Sikhs. He alleged that appointments to positions like the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib were made to suit their personal and political interests.
“The Akalis have reduced sacred institutions to tools of political manipulation,” Mann said, adding that the SGPC and Sri Akal Takht Sahib were used by the Akalis to deceive the public and consolidate power. “They have twisted holy directives for their own gain,” he added.
Mann went further to claim that the Akalis did not limit themselves to looting the state treasury but also misappropriated religious funds meant for the upkeep of Sikh institutions and the welfare of devotees. He condemned what he called an era of “political and religious exploitation” that, according to him, caused deep harm to Punjab’s social fabric.
Targeting the Akali leadership’s legacy, Mann accused them of neglecting the poor and marginalized while enabling the wealthy and powerful to enrich themselves. “Their political model revolved around looting, not leadership,” he said.
The Chief Minister stated that the people of Punjab will not forgive the Akalis for the damage inflicted during their tenure. “The prayers of the poor always reach God, and their curses cannot be stopped,” Mann added, remarking that the current political decline of the Akalis is a result of divine justice for their past misdeeds.
His remarks reflect an intensifying political battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal, particularly over religious influence and control of Sikh institutions ahead of upcoming local elections and bypolls.
