AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—The Supreme Sikh body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee reinstated it’s employee, Ardasia (Priest) Balbir Singh, on December 12, after he had refused to honor Chief Minister Parkash Badal with a ‘Siropao’ (robe of honour) when he had come to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib in June this year.
Ardasia Balbir Singh was then transferred to Macchhiwara by Avtar Makkar, the then SGPC president. However, Balbir Singh refused to follow the transfer orders and demanded that the SGPC dismiss him.
In an interview with media in June this year, Ardasia Balbir Singh clarified that he didn’t honour CM Badal due to his failure in tracing the culprits of the desecration incidents across Punjab. He said that he did not have any personal grievances against Badal, refused granting a ‘Siropao’ to make him understand the current feelings of the Sikh community.
On being contacted by Sikh24, SGPC President Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar confirmed the reinstatement of Ardasia Balbir Singh. Justifying his reinstatement, Prof. Badungar said that SGPC feels that it was right to reinstate him instead of keeping him out of the SGPC for a longer time.
Balbir Singh is the kind of man that should be running the SGPC as he has shown courage and fortitude of Khalsa refusing to turn blind eye and deaf ear to beadbi of our Guru as the rest of the SGPC fall overthemsleves to stick a saropa around the neck of a non-Sikh Sukhbir Badal.