By IANS
Amritsar (Punjab) : A virtual clash has erupted between two top Sikh clergymen over a religious edict by the head of one of the five ‘takhts’ (religious seats) of the Sikhs.
The clash over religious matters is between the head of Akal Takht – the highest seat of Sikh religious affairs – and the head of Takht Patna Sahib. After a meeting of top Sikh clergy here Friday, it was resolved to revoke the ‘hukumnama’ (edict) issued by the Takht Patna Sahib chief.
The head of the Takht Patna Sahib – a gurudwara in Patna – Jathedar Iqbal Singh was Thursday suspended by Akal Takht chief Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti.
The reason given for the suspension was that the Patna Sahib Takht head had issued an edict that the gurudwara will not follow the Sikh ‘Nanakshahi’ calendar. He also made changes in the routine of the morning and evening prayers.
Another charge against Iqbal Singh was that he challenged the authority of the Akal Takht by not following the calendar and asserting that the Akal Takht had no authority to issue such orders.
Even though the Akal Takht has summoned a meeting of Sikh high priests here Feb 5, the Patna Sahib Takht chief remained defiant.
“Vedanti is nobody to suspend me. The Patna Sahib Takht has equal powers to issue a hukumnama,” Iqbal Singh said Friday reacting to his suspension.
Patna Sahib has religious relevance for the Sikhs as it is the birthplace of the 10th and last Sikh guru, Gobind Singh. The warrior guru had founded the ‘Khalsa Panth’ in 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, of which the present day Sikhs are all followers.