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Akal Takht summons Punjab minister on Aug 6 for hurting Sikh sentiments
SGPC had objected to the “entertainment performances” involving singing and dancing at event organised by Punjab govt’s language department in Srinagar last month to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur.
The Akal Takht on Monday asked Punjab cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before the five Singh Sahiban (high priests) on August 6 for allegedly hurting Sikh sentiments.
Bains has been summoned for organising “entertainment performances” at a programme held in Srinagar to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur.
A meeting of the five Singh Sahiban will be convened at the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat in Amritsar on August 6 under the leadership of the officiating jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj to deliberate on various Panthic and religious matters, said a statement.
Bagicha Singh, who is in-charge of the Akal Takht Secretariat, said an e-mail has been sent to Bains, summoning him to appear before the five Singh Sahiban.
He said Jaswant Singh, the director of the language department, Punjab, will be summoned at a later date as he has gone abroad until August 12 for a relative’s wedding.
Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had taken strong objection to the “entertainment performances” involving singing and dancing at the event organised by the Punjab government’s language department in Srinagar last month to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur.
The SGPC had condemned the performances, calling it an affront to Sikh religious values.
Bains had earlier said that he would appear before the Akal Takht and would be bound to obey every order while accepting moral responsibility.
Bains had said that he, as a Sikh minister, seeks forgiveness for whatever happened due to negligence of the organisers, knowingly or unknowingly, at the event.
