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SGPC mum, Sarna condemns Taranjit Singh Sandhu heckling incident
Sandhu is a prominent Sikh officer and grandson of Teja Singh Samundri, a legendary Sikh leader after whom the gurdwara body headquarters building is named in the Golden Temple complex.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) remained quiet on the incident of heckling of Indian ambassador in the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu in a New York gurdwara by Khalistan supporters.
Sandhu is a prominent Sikh officer and grandson of Teja Singh Samundri, a legendary Sikh leader after whom the gurdwara body headquarters building is named in the Golden Temple complex.
The incident occurred at the Guru Nanak Darbar of Long Island, when some individuals directly accusing India of having killed Canadian pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and being a part of a plot to kill another separatist backer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Other Sikh community leaders at the gurdwara, however, asked the protesters to stop shouting and escorted Sandhu.
Despite repeated attempts, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh did not respond to calls and texts for their reaction on the issue.
During his visits to the Golden Temple, Sandhu used to visit the SGPC office on many occasions after taking over the charge of the US envoy. His last visit to Amritsar was in August this year.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Delhi unit president and former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna flayed the act of Khalistani supporters. “No Sikh, who is aware of Ambassador Sandhu’s legacy, could do such a thing,” he said in a statement.
“Teja Singh Samundri quit the British Indian army to join the Gurdwara Reform Movement. He passed away at a Lahore jail under colonial custody. The SGPC’s headquarters in fact is housed in a building named after Teja Singh Samundri,” he said. “For Sikhs, Ambassador Sandhu is and will always command high respect not only because of his legacy but also because of his high geopolitical competence. We condemn the incident.”
