Holding Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal responsible for the confrontation building up outside some historic gurdwaras in Haryana, deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday called for restraint by all concerned.
In a statement here, Amarinder said he was feeling pained and disappointed over the scenes outside historic gurdwaras in Haryana where the newly-constituted Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) wanted to take over affairs of these shrines but was being resisted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force.
"Badal is behaving like a modern-day 'mahant' who does not want to let go of his control over Haryana gurdwaras, like the old-day 'mahants' against whom the Sikhs had launched an agitation that eventually resulted in the constitution of the SGPC," Amarinder remarked.
"In an almost similar manner, Haryana Sikhs are trying to wrest the control of their gurdwaras from the gang of modern-day mahants led by Badal," he added.
Praying for peace and wisdom to prevail, the former Punjab chief minister said all this was happening because Badal was not prepared to give the Haryana Sikhs their rightful due.
{{/usCountry}}Praying for peace and wisdom to prevail, the former Punjab chief minister said all this was happening because Badal was not prepared to give the Haryana Sikhs their rightful due.
{{/usCountry}}"What is being witnessed outside these gurdwaras is total lawlessness and anarchy scripted and executed by Badal either for his personal ego or other reasons best known to him," he remarked.
Amarinder added that there was still time for Badal to give up his child-like stubborn intransigence and let the issue get settled lawfully and peacefully. "Otherwise, history will never forgive you for making Sikhs fight among themselves," he warned Badal.