SC decision: Recognizing validity of separate Gurdwara committee in Haryana attack on ‘Sikh panth’, says SAD president

SAD would not tolerate tinkering of a hundred-year-old Act, said Badal. He said party has called a meeting of leaders to decide the next course of action including legal recourse.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday described the Supreme Court verdict recognizing the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014 as an attack on the ‘Sikh panth’, adding that it has led to resentment amongst the community worldwide.

Badal said the country had earlier witnessed how the nature of the elected Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was changed overnight. (HT file photo)

“It is extremely unfortunate that the SGPC, an inter-State body, had been bifurcated by recognizing a state legislation even though the power to make law on this issue was reserved with the Centre,” said Sukhbir adding that Congress party had been trying for decades to weaken the SAD as well as Sikh institutions and the Act of 2014 forming a separate body to manage gurdwaras in Haryana was part of this strategy.

It was equally condemnable that the Punjab government under Capt Amarinder Singh had taken an anti-SGPC stance in the apex court in this case and the last nail was hammered in by the Bhagwant Singh Mann government whose advocate general gave a written submission against the SGPC in the case, he added.

Asserting that the SAD would not tolerate tinkering of a hundred-year-old Act, Badal said “the party has called a meeting of senior leaders to decide on the next course of action which could include legal recourse,” issuing an appeal to all panthic organizations to unite and defeat the designs of anti-Sikh forces.

Badal said the country had earlier witnessed how the nature of the elected Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was changed overnight and taken over. “Punjab was already suffering after its river waters were snatched away and it remained without its capital city of Chandigarh. Now the SGPC has been bifurcated by recognizing the formation of a separate Committee for Haryana,” he further said.

When questioned on alleged reports concerning deplaning of CM Bhagwant Mann from an aircraft at Frankfurt airport, Sukhbir said, “CM’s actions have lowered the prestige of Punjab and Punjabis”. He added that the reports were corroborated by two passengers who were on the same flight.

Demanding an inquiry into the entire incident, he appealed to the Governor to dismiss Mann from the post. “Such a person should not be allowed to continue in office any longer,” he demanded.