Amritsar, Jan. 6 -- Escalating the standoff between the AAP government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Monday summoned chief minister Bhagwant Mann for January 15. The summons follows allegations that Mann made derogatory remarks regarding Sikh traditions and tenets.

Mann is the third sitting Punjab CM to be summoned by the Sikhs' highest temporal seat after Parkash Singh Badal and Surjit Singh Barnala. While Badal was summoned in 1979 by the then jathedar Sadhu Singh Bhaura over his role in Sikh-Nirankari clash that left 13 Sikh protesters dead in Amritsar, Barnala was declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) in 1986 and excommunicated for orderi...