E-Paper
Sacrilege now routine, a political conspiracy: Akal Takht jathedar
Akal Takht jathedar said that the gurdwaras management committees needed to stay alert, as the Golden Temple sacrilege bid was part of a conspiracy against the community
Prefer HTon Google
Amritsar Sacrilege incidents have become a ‘rampant routine’, as the Central and the state law enforcement agencies had failed to bring the perpetrators to justice, acting Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, has alleged, adding all this was a part of a deeper conspiracy against the Sikhs. The jathedar said this after a meeting with the five high Sikh priests.
The meeting had been called in the wake of the sacrilege attempt at the Golden Temple on December 18. “For the past few years, some invisible anti-Panthic powers, under a deep conspiracy, have been degrading the honour of the Guru Granth Sahib... this has now reached the Golden Temple. No law appears to be taking any effective action, nor has judiciary awarded strict punishment,” the jathedar said, after the meeting, adding that hundreds of accused were handed over to the law, with most acquitted on the grounds of mental illness.
“The intelligence agencies of governments are appearing helpless in curbing these incidents of sacrilege, and identifying the hidden powers behind them,” the jathedar claimed, adding, “If the government of India and its investigative agencies, the intelligence wing and the judiciary had acted immediately after the culmination of the farmers’ agitation and played their role responsibly, it would have been a slap on the faces of the conspirators, who are trying to break Hindu-Sikh unity.”
“In the wake of the incident at the Golden Temple, we appeal to the Panth that under a deep political conspiracy attempts are being made to disrespect the honour of Sikh institutions, gurdwara management committees and sects. Women, children and mentally ill people are being used for such acts. All gurdwara management committees should take adequate steps to curb such incidents,” he added.
The jathedar also expressed disappointment against a section of the media, which, he claimed, tried to present a ‘wrong image of Sikhs by ignoring the disappointing working of the state’s law’.
Giani Ranjit Singh Gauhar-E-Maskeen, jathedar of Patna Sahib, Giani Malkiat Singh, head granthi of the Akal Takht, Giani Raghubir Singh, acting jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, and Giani Gurminder Singh, granthi of the Golden Temple, were also present at the meeting.
