Now, Mann asked to apprear before Akal Takht on July 8

AMRITSAR: Exhibiting patience, the parallel acting jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Dhian Singh Mand, has offered Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann another opportunity to present himself before the Sikh high priests appointed by the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’.
Despite Mand and other Sikh high priests arriving at the Akal Takht at 11am on Wednesday, Mann failed to appear, following which they decided to grant him another chance for a clarification on the Punjab government’s involvement in the Sikh religious matters by making an amendment to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
Strangely, the parallel acting jathedar of the Akal Takht has demonstrated contradictory actions. While on one hand he refuses to acknowledge the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) appointed jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, on the other hand he censured Mann for disregarding the SGPC-appointed jathedar’s directive to establish a dedicated channel for the broadcast of Gurbani from Harmandir Sahib.
“The reasons behind Bhagwant Mann’s failure to appear before the Sikh high priests remain unknown. It is unclear whether Mann intentionally avoided coming to the Akal Takht. If he did so, it will make him further culpable for disregarding the directive of the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs,” said Mand.
Nevertheless, Mand said, the Akal Takht bestows pardons and thus they had collectively decided to offer Mann another opportunity to provide clarification. He said the Sikh high priests had agreed to summon Mann on July 8. “If Mann fails to appear on the specified date, it will be perceived as a lack of respect for the revered seat of the Sikhs and a disciplinary action in accordance with the panthic traditions will be initiated against him,” he said.
Fissures had already appeared in the Mand’s group after Manjit Singh, a close associate of Mand, questioned the summoning of the CM without consulting other members.
Jarnail Singh Sakhira, a prominent organiser of the Sikhs gathering held under the banner of Sarbat Khalsa at Chabha village near Amritsar on November 10, 2015, said the parallel Sikh high priests had also accused Mann of disregarding the directions of the SGPC-appointed jathedar of Akal Takht regarding the establishment of a separate TV channel for the broadcast of Gurbani.
Sakhira further said the Sikh high priests had summoned Mann to appear before them at 12pm on July 8 to provide clarification on two specific issues and expressed hope that Mann would not ignore the directions once again.