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Guru Nanak birth anniv: SGPC refusing joint event with govt, says Capt
Rejecting the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) charge against his government over the joint 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, chief
Rejecting the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) charge against his government over the joint 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday said that a group of ministers had already been constituted to coordinate with the gurdwara body to finalise the historic commemorative event.
The main function will be held at Gurdwara Ber Sahib at Sultanpur Lodhi, where Guru Nanak spent 14 years of his life, in Kapurthala district on November 12.
To this, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said religious functions are a domain of the SGPC and government should assist the gurdwara body in celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Most of the members in the SGPC are from the SAD.
Taking exception to SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal’s criticism, the CM said cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and OP Soni had been directed to discuss the modalities of the Parkash Purb celebrations with the SGPC.
“It was not the state government which had shown no interest in holding a joint function, as directed by Akal Takht, but the SGPC, which had been refusing to join the state government in celebrating the historic occasion on a common platform,” the CM said.
Confronting the CM, Sukhbir said on two occasions in the past, the SGPC waited for government representatives to arrive for the meeting, but in vain. “Now, the CM can’t say that his government or the ministers are coordinating with SGPC for the religious events to mark birth anniversary celebrations,” he added.
Sukhbir said when Parkash Singh Badal was the CM, the SGPC used to lead all religious functions and the government used to assist it. “We have celebrated centenaries during the tenure of the Akali-BJP government and never such a scenario had emerged when SGPC and the state government were not on the same page,” said Sukhbir.
Reiterating his appeal to the SGPC to support the government in commemorating the Parkash Purb celebrations, Amarinder urged Longowal to keep an open mind on the issue. The CM said even during his last meeting with the SGPC delegation on August 27, he had appealed for a consensus on various issues relating to the celebrations.
