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Some stage antics at Hazur Sahib
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Acrimonious scenes were witnessed on stage at Hazur Sahib which was captured by deputy mayor, Nanded, Sarvjit Singh Gill (second from left) on Friday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Hazur Sahib, October 31
The head priests, including Giani Gurbachan Singh, and SGPC president Avtar Singh left the religious stage when it was captured by an agitated former chairman of the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee, the deputy mayor, Nanded, and a number of local Sikhs here today.

The clash took place in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib at “raag darbar”, organised by the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee in collaboration with the SGPC. They also assaulted Jasbir Singh, adviser to P.S. Pasricha, chairman of the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee, for handing over the stage to the SGPC. Later, a supporter of the deputy mayor also attacked him.

Talking to The Tribune, Avtar Singh blamed the Congress for the trouble. He also blamed H.S. Josh, a member of the National Minorities Commission, for instigating deputy mayor Sarvjit Singh Gill and the former chairman of the Takht committee against the SGPC.

Gill and the former chairman told The Tribune that the religious body which had failed to give due honour to southern Sikhs had no business to conduct the stage.

The SGPC chief was honouring more than 100 sants from Punjab and other states who had arranged a community kitchen to commemorate the tercentenary celebrations of Gurta Gaddi of Guru Granth Sahib. It was on the request of Jasbir Singh that the additional secretary, SGPC, Roop Singh, started conducting the stage and later called Avtar Singh to give away siropas. It was then that the clash took place.

Interestingly, the SGPC president asked the employees of the committee to immediately leave for Amritsar though the tercentenary is yet to be held on November 3. The President of India is likely to participate.

The adviser to Pasricha was seen requesting him not to leave Nanded and resolve the matter amicably by holding meeting with the southern Sikhs.

The deputy mayor claimed that the panj piaras of Takht Hazur Sahib had passed a “Gurmata” that the religious stage would be run by the local Sikhs only. He accused the SGPC of not honouring Capt Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister, at the centenaries.

Among those present on the stage included Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Jaswinder Singh, Head Granthi, Darbar Sahib, Pasricha, Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, chief, Damdami Taksal, and president of the Sant Samaj and a large number of SGPC employees and sants.