Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) Slams Appointment of Satnam Singh Kler as Gurdwara Judicial Panel Chief

Chandigarh, July 21 — In a tone that left little room for compromise, Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) core committee member Sucha Singh Chhotepur lashed out on Sunday at the recent elevation of advocate Satnam Singh Kler to the chairmanship of the Gurdwara Judicial Commission.

‘It is downright insulting,’ Chhotepur said in a statement, pointing out that the appointment came at a time when the Sikh Panth was collectively remembering the martyrdom of human‑rights stalwart Jaswant Singh Khalra. ‘To raise a lawyer who defended the very accused in Khalra’s disappearance to a senior post in one of our most revered institutions is a grave misstep,’ he added.

Kler, who first took up the role back in 2016, has been identified by the party as having represented the suspects in the landmark Khalra case – a case that still haunts the community, given that Khalra vanished in 1995 while exposing human‑rights abuses in Punjab.

According to the Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), the selection was reportedly made on the recommendation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The party argues that this move not only tarnishes the memory of Khalra but also disrespects other Sikh martyrs who gave their lives for the faith.

Adding another layer of controversy, Chhotepur noted that Kler’s son, Arshdeep Singh Kler, is a prominent spokesperson for the faction led by Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. ‘How can a family so closely tied to the Badal camp be entrusted with such a sensitive position?’ he questioned, hinting at possible political patronage.

Chhotepur didn’t stop at criticism. He appealed directly to the Akal Takht’s officiating jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, urging him to intervene. ‘We demand that those who have defended the accused in cases involving our martyrs be scrutinised and, if necessary, removed from influential posts within Sikh institutions,’ he wrote.

The statement also highlighted an irony that Chhotepur found hard to ignore: while some leaders champion the making of films on Khalra’s life, they simultaneously place lawyers, who once stood on the opposite side of the courtroom, in positions of religious authority. ‘It is highly condemnable,’ he concluded.

The controversy now sits at the intersection of religion, politics, and memory, prompting many within the Sikh community to ask whether the sanctity of their institutions is being compromised for political expediency.