M A I N   N E W S

Will lead ‘morcha’ against HSGPC if needed: Badal
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 22
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said he was ready to lead any movement if the need arises to defeat the nefarious designs to divide and weaken the Sikh community.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron today claimed that the BJP-led NDA government was “fully supporting” its alliance partner as far its stance against the separate gurdwara panel for Haryana was concerned.

“I will myself lead the movement if need be. It is another attack of the Congress on Sikhs after 1984 anti-Sikh riots and on the Golden temple. The decision would be announced on July 22. Sikhs are agitated over the Congress’ approach towards them. No one can remove elected SGPC members merely with the help of a Bill. We want the community’s welfare and peace. We don’t want any ‘golak’ (gurdwara money). We just want the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) intact and nothing else,” said Badal after interacting with Sikh leaders who had converged here from Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and various other parts of the country.

Sikh leaders from different parts of the country expressed their willingness to participate in any movement spearheaded by the SAD against the creation of a separate Sikh gurdwara panel.

“The Akal Takht is supreme for us. Even Maharaja Ranjit Singh had to appear before it as a humble Sikh when summoned. We won’t tolerate if anybody tries to challenge the Akal Takht’s authority,” he said.

Asked if he was using the separate gurdwara panel issue to make way for his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, the SAD patron said: “Do I need any ‘bahana’ (excuse) for making Sukhbir the CM?”

The Chief Minister asserted that the SGPC did not belong to Punjab, Haryana or just to India, but the Sikhs worldwide. “Whenever any Sikh faces a problem anywhere in the world, it is the SGPC which comes to his rescue. Nobody, including the Haryana Government, can decide to divide the SGPC,” he asserted. He said the Sangat at the proposed Panthik Akath in Amritsar on July 27 would give its final nod for the ‘morcha’ to be launched to correct the “historic wrong” committed by the Haryana Government.

He warned the Haryana Government of severe consequences. However, in the same breath, Badal appealed to people to maintain communal harmony at all cost.