Bibi Jagir Kaur

Bibi Jagir Kaur

Shiromani Akali Dal ("SAD") legislator Bibi Jagir Kaur was on Thursday 23 September 2004 elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, the top Sikh religious organisation in India. This comes four years after she quit the post following a controversy over her daughter's mysterious death. Kaur, who has been elected unopposed, is an MLA from Bolath in Kapurthala district of Punjab

Kaur was the first woman to be elected president of SGPC in March 1999. She continued in the post until November 2000, when she was embroiled in a controversy over her daughter Harpreet's death. The case is still pending in the court.

Kaur's candidature was proposed by senior SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and seconded by Harshwinder Singh during SGPC's annual presidential election on the Golden Temple premises here. The post of SGPC chief was lying vacant since March 31, 2004 after the death of Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

The other members who were elected unopposed were Gurpal Singh Gora (senior vice-president), Kewal Singh Badal (junior vice-president) and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur (general secretary).