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Parallel jathedar Mand apologises for lifting Bargari Morcha in December 2018
The morcha, for seeking justice in the case of Guru Granth Sahib’s sacrilege and Kotakapura and Behbal Kalan Police firing incidents, lasted for over six months at Bargari village in Faridkot district
Amritsar Sarbat Khalsa-appointed parallel acting jathedar of the Akal Takht, Dhian Singh Mand, on Sunday tendered an apology for lifting the Bargari Insaaf Morcha in December 2018. He termed the lifting of the morcha as their blunder, but added that they had trusted Punjab government’s assurances.
The morcha, for seeking justice in the case of Guru Granth Sahib’s sacrilege and Kotakapura and Behbal Kalan Police firing incidents, lasted for over six months at Bargari village in Faridkot district. It had drawn a huge response from the Sikh masses, and the decision to end it had invited criticism at that time, too.
On Sunday, Mand and his supporters, accompanied by radical Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Sakhira turned up at the highest Sikh temporal seat and performed ardaas (prayer) before it.
“The morcha had entered its final phase, but representatives of the Congress government in Punjab turned up there to accept the demands. In the presence of Guru Granth Sahib and sangat, the ministers assured justice for the panth. In consultation with Sikh leaders, we trusted them and ended the morcha,” he said in his prayer, adding, “Later, we learnt that this government is also insincere and stands with the culprits of the sacrilege. It pained and disappointed the Sikh sangat across the world.”
“We feel that the government has deceived the Sikh community. It was my mistake to lift the morcha. For this blunder, I have come here with folded hands and want to be pardoned. I hope the Guru will pardon me.”
Congress ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had approached the morcha on December 10, 2018 and declared from the stage that the government had accepted all their demands.
