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Mann-Khattar meeting fallout: Slain BKI militant’s portrait displayed in Golden Temple’s central museum
The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami along with Golden Temple granthi Bhai Rajdeep Singh unveiled the portrait in presence of Sikh hardliners including Dal Khalsa leaders.
A day after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar held a meeting over Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) issue, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday put up a portrait of slain Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant Balwinder Singh Jatana, who killed government officials supervising the construction of the disputed canal, at Central Sikh Museum in Golden Temple complex. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami who along with Golden Temple granthi Bhai Rajdeep Singh unveiled the portrait in presence of Sikh hardliners including Dal Khalsa leaders, advised the governments on the issue of Punjab’s waters, saying, “It is a very important and sensitive issue of Punjab and the governments should not tamper and interfere in it unnecessarily.” He also remembered Jatana’s aide Charanjit Singh, who was killed with him in the encounter. Jatana killed the officials on March 24, 1990, after which the government stopped the construction of the canal. On September 4, 1991, he was killed by Punjab Police in an encounter. The SGPC had resolved to display his portrait on July 6, days after slain singer Sidhu Moosewala glorified him in his song ‘SYL’. This song that was released after he was shot dead, glorified him not only through words but also through his picture shown in the song video. After the Union Government raised an objection, YouTube removed this song for viewers in India.
‘Denied’ visas, Pak based descendants fail to attend installation ceremony of Rai Bular painting:
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh also unveiled a painting of Nawab Rai Bular Ahmed Bhatti who was a Muslim devotee of Guru Nanak, in the museum. He said Nawab Rai Bular was a true devotee of Guru Nanak Dev, who had identified the divine light in the Guru at a young age and gave him great reverence. Expressing his devotion to the Guru, Rai Bular had offered him a big share of his property, he said while delivering his speech. Notably, Bular donated half of his land - over 18,500 acres of agricultural land in the name of Guru Nanak. The SGPC President raised an objection to the government that the SGPC had sent several invitations to the descendants of Rai Bular in Pakistan, requesting them to attend the ceremony of installation of his portrait, but they could not attend due to non-grant of visas. The SGPC wanted Bhatti’s descendants to be present on this occasion. The sources close to his descendants said they applied for the Indian visa thrice but the plea was not entertained by the governments. In a video message sent by Rai Saleem Akram Bhatti, one of the descendants, thanked the SGPC for installing the painting at the holiest Sikh shrine.
