Bibi Jagir Kaur
Bibi Jagir Kaur a legislator of the Shiromani Akali Dal ("SAD") was, on Thursday 23 September 2004, re-elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, the top Sikh religious organisation in India. despite the fact that four years earlier when her term ended when Gurcharan Singh Tohra was reappointed by Parkash Singh Badal, after she had become embroiled in a controversy over her daughter Harpreet Kaur’s mysterious death.
- The case is still pending in the courts.
Kaur, who was elected unopposed, is an MLA from Bolath in Kapurthala district of Punjab, was the first woman to be elected as president of the SGPC (March 1999), after Parkash Singh Badal had removed Gurcharan Singh Tohra as SGPC chief on March 16, 1999, a few days before the commencement of tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib.
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. 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).
