BJP meddling in Sikh affairs to divide community, says SGPC

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 24

Reacting to the decision of the Supreme Court with regard to the Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee, veteran SGPC members and functionaries said the atmosphere of distrust in the country was increasing rapidly.

This was stated in a joint release issued here today by holy city-based SGPC members, including former senior vice-president Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta, Surjit Singh Bhitewad, former general secretary Bhagwant Singh Sialka, executive member Harjap Singh Sultanwind, Amarjit Singh Bandala, Jodh Singh Samra, member Bhai Ram Singh, Mangwinder Singh Khaparkheri and Bawa Singh Gumanpura.

“With an intention of dividing Sikhs, a separate Haryana Committee Act was passed during the Congress regime of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and later it was duly acknowledged by the BJP government in Haryana,” they said.

Veteran SGPC members said the SGPC, an apex institution of Sikhs, came into existence after several sacrifices and long drawn struggle. So repercussions of any attempt to forcibly take over the management of its gurdwaras in Haryana would not be in a good taste.

Expressing their displeasure they said the way the government was suppressing the minorities and interfering in their religious affairs, the country may have to face a challenging situation. They blamed that there was an attempt by the BJP-run Centre to suppress the minorities living in the country under the ideology of the RSS.

At the same time, the government is directly interfering in the religious affairs of the minorities, due to which they were not feeling at home.

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