SGPC resolves to intensify stir against SC ruling on Haryana gurdwaras

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday resolved that the RSS is behind the Supreme Court’s recent judgment that upheld validity of the Act legitimising separate gurdwara management committees for historic gurdwaras in Haryana.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday resolved that the RSS is behind the Supreme Court’s recent judgment that upheld validity of the Act legitimising separate gurdwara management committees for historic gurdwaras in Haryana.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday resolved that the RSS is behind the Supreme Court’s recent judgment that upheld validity of the Act legitimising separate gurdwara management committees for historic gurdwaras in Haryana. (HT File)

In its special session held at its headquarters Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the SGPC passed five resolutions. “From the beginning, anti-Sikh forces have been working jointly to break the SGPC that came into existence after big sacrifices by Sikhs. Congress has been anti-Sikh from beginning, but it is sad that BJP and its parent body RSS are also following in its footsteps. It has come to fore that the Supreme Court has upheld validity of HSGMC Act-2014 at the behest of RSS,” read one of the resolutions.

It further read, “If the then Congress of Haryana had sown seed of the separate gurdwara committee of Haryana, BJP government irrigated it, that made it clear that though Congress and BJP have different ideologies, they are on the same page in weakening the Sikh power. The previous government led by Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab and the incumbent AAP government also showed that they are anti-Sikh by favouring the separate committee. Today’s gathering warns anti-Sikh forces against interfering into the matters of Sikhs.”

In another resolution, an appeal was made to Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit to issue an order to form a five-member constitutional bench to review HSGMC Act related judgment.

During the meeting, a call was made to hold a protest march from Golden Temple to the office of Amritsar deputy commissioner, and hand over a memorandum against interference into Sikh affairs by RSS and HSGMC Act, on October 4, 2022.

Another call has been given to organise a march from Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, and Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, to Akal Takht so as to raise awareness among the Sikh Sangat on this issue.

It was also decided that with the support of Haryana Sikh Sangat, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will be confronted and if the government still does not accede, the SGPC members will hold protests in Delhi too.

Adopting an aggressive stand against the governments, the speakers including SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said that for the safety of the supreme Sikh body SGPC, the entire Khalsa Panth will struggle together under the leadership of Akal Takht. Dhami also appealed to the Jathedar of Akal Takht to call a World Sikh Convention to be attended by all Sikh sects, seminaries, organisations and prominent Sikhs of the country and abroad.

In all, 86 members attended the meeting but majority of the members from Haryana and the opposition skipped it.

SAD endorses call for Khalsa march

Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday endorsed the call given by the SGPC to hold a Khalsa march from Takht Keshgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib to Akal Takht Sahib on October 7 and also requested the central government to file a review petition or pass a new law to do away with the validation of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Committee Act, 2014 by the Supreme Court. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the party’s legislators, former legislators and constituency incharges’ here which was presided over by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.