Concerned over Akal Takht jathedar’s remarks on Sikhs’ safety, Capt Amarinder asks SAD to quit NDA

Punjab chief minister, however, disagrees with Giani Harpreet Singh’s views, says unlike Pakistan, India has always taken pride in being a secular nation with no discrimination on religious grounds

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday expressed concern over Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh’s remarks that Sikhs are not safe even in India, and asked the Takht to put pressure on the Akalis to sever ties with the ruling alliance at the Centre, which had been unable to ensure a sense of safety among minorities.

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While he himself did not agree with the Akal Takht jathedar’s remarks that Sikhs were not safe in India, the chief minister said that if Giani Harpreet Singh felt that way then he should take up the matter with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and ask the party to leave the BJP-led coalition at the Centre.

Unlike Pakistan, India had always taken pride in being a secular nation, with no discrimination on religious grounds, said Captain Amarinder, adding that any feeling among the Sikh community that it’s not secure here is a matter of concern. If Sikhs are feeling insecure in this country, as stated by the acting jathedar of Akal Takht, then it is the dispensation at the Centre which is to blame, he said in a release.

SAYS HARSIMRAT SHOULD

ALSO QUIT UNION CABINET

“Given that the Akalis claim to be the custodians of the Sikh religion, and the community, they should take a stand on the issue, and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal should also ask his wife Harsimrat Kaur to resign immediately as a Union Minister,” the chief minister said.

Captain Amarinder said while some incidents here and there could not be construed to be a case of Sikhs not being safe in India, perception was as important as reality. The Sikhs have lived through a very dark period in the 1980s and any feeling of being at the receiving end in any way will revive their sense of fear, which would be detrimental to the community’s interest, as well as that of the nation, he added.

As chief minister of a Sikh-dominated state, he said he had always ensured that the community’s interests were protected not just in Punjab but also in other states, said Captain Amarinder, recalling his personal intervention in cases of victimisation of Sikhs.

Citing the SAD’s hypocrisy on the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Captain Amarinder asked the Akalis to take a clear stand on issues relating to minorities in India and stop playing double games on such matters.