India, Feb. 18 -- Giani Raghbir Singh, the head granthi of the Golden Temple, on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), accusing the Badal family of "grievously hurting" Sikh religious sentiments for political gains and called for a Sarbat Khalsa (grand assembly) to "liberate" the SGPC.

Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, Giani Raghbir alleged that the Badal family's decades-long control has institutionalised corruption within the SGPC. The allegations come at a time when the SAD is attempting to regain lost ground through a statewide outreach programme, led by its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, in the run-up to the 2027 assembly elections.

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