A fresh religious and political controversy has erupted in Punjab over the classification of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann's religious identity. The Sehajdhari Sikh Party (SSP) has strongly objected to the Akal Takht Jathedar labelling Mann as a 'Patit' (apostate), arguing that the term is being incorrectly applied.
The Core of the Controversy: Who is a 'Patit'?
The SSP, through its president Paramjit Singh Ranu, has presented a detailed argument based on The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. Ranu clarified that according to the Act, a 'Patit' is specifically defined as a keshadhari Sikh (one who maintains uncut hair) who then trims or shaves their beard or hair. Alternatively, it refers to someone who, after taking amrit (the Sikh initiation ceremony), commits one of the four major prohibitions (Kurahits).
These four Kurahits include dishonouring hair, consuming meat from an animal slaughtered in the Muslim way (halal), cohabiting with a person other than one's spouse, and using tobacco. Keshadhari is a mandatory condition for an Amritdhari Sikh, Ranu stated, while also pointing out that the term 'keshadhari' itself lacks an explicit definition.
The party's central contention is that since Bhagwant Mann is not an initiated or baptised (Amritdhari) Sikh, he cannot be declared a 'Patit'. They assert he should be correctly identified as a Sehajdhari Sikh – a person who gradually adopts the Sikh faith.
Summons and the Question of Protocol
The debate gained urgency after the officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, summoned CM Mann to appear at the Akal Takht secretariat on January 14. The summons was issued over allegations of Mann's 'anti-Sikh mentality'.
Jathedar Gargaj had stated that since Mann is considered a 'Patit', and per Sikh tradition cannot be brought before the Faseel (railing) of the Akal Takht, he was being summoned to the Secretariat instead. This move has been questioned by Sikh intellectuals, who argue that the Secretariat is an integral part of the Akal Takht, making the summons effectively the same.
Ranu directly questioned Jathedar Gargaj's stance, stating that being the Jathedar of Akal Takht, he should have precise knowledge of who a Patit Sikh is. He further cited a judgement by former Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, noting that even the Sri Guru Granth Sahib does not explicitly mention the term 'Patit'.
Broader Implications for Sehajdhari Sikhs
The SSP has framed this issue as one affecting the entire Sehajdhari Sikh community. Ranu argued that if the Jathedar calls Mann a 'Patit Sikh', he is implicitly admitting that Mann is a Sikh. Following this logic, all Sehajdhari Sikhs, like Mann, should then be granted voting rights in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, a long-standing political demand.
The party expressed its displeasure, stating that labelling Mann a 'Patit' is an indirect address to all Sehajdharis with the same term. They have called upon the Akal Takht Jathedar to publicly explain the definition of a 'Patit' Sikh and clearly differentiate between a Sikh and a Khalsa.
This controversy sits at the complex intersection of Sikh theology, religious authority, and political identity in Punjab, with potential ramifications for the state's socio-political landscape.
