Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami on Wednesday issued a strong warning to the Punjab government, accusing it of repeatedly interfering in Sikh religious institutions and attempting to undermine the authority of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Addressing a press conference at Gurdwara Sri Charan Kanwal Sahib, Dhami said the Sikh community is facing serious challenges and must remain united. He alleged that by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue of 328 allegedly missing holy saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the state government was trying to project itself as more powerful than Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Dhami pointed out that Sri Akal Takht Sahib has already taken cognisance of the matter within its religious jurisdiction. Questioning the government’s intentions, he asked whether the state now wanted police intervention in the administration of gurdwaras, which the SGPC has managed independently for decades.
Referring to the report prepared by Dr Ishar, the SGPC president asserted that the 328 holy saroops were not missing and claimed the issue was being used to weaken Sikh institutions under the pretext of investigation.
Dhami also reiterated his opposition to the term “Bal Diwas” for commemorating the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas and strongly condemned a recent cartoon allegedly depicting Sikh Gurus. He warned that continued disregard for Sikh sentiments would compel the Sikh Panth to respond firmly.
