M A I N   N E W S

‘Won’t let HSGMC take over shrines’
Sukhbir asks Centre to prevent Haryana panel from ‘vitiating atmosphere’
Perneet Singh
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 2
On a day when the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) tried to take control of a gurdwara in Haryana, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal asked the Union Government to initiate measures to prevent the HSGMC from “vitiating the atmosphere as its leaders were issuing threatening statements”.

Talking to mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here today, the SAD president reiterated that the Congress government’s bid to wrest the control of gurdwaras in Haryana would not be tolerated. He said: “The Congress-sponsored provocation is self-indicative of the fact that these dejected Sikh leaders believe in confrontation and want to disturb peace in the Sikh shrines of Haryana.”

He said Jagdish Singh Jhinda had no right to manage gurdwara affairs as he was excommunicated by the Akal Takht. “We are obeying the Akal Takht directive to maintain status quo in Haryana gurdwaras, but if Jhinda doesn’t want to follow it then it is his wish,” he said.

He said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) was constituted after enormous sacrifices of Sikh Panth during the British rule, but the activities of the Haryana Government were aimed at weakening the august religious body. He said by constituting separate committee to manage gurdwaras in Haryana, the Congress had inflicted third major assault on Sikhs after the Operation Bluestar and 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Regarding regularisation of unauthorised colonies post-property related legislation of 1995, Sukhbir said NOCs had been issued to plot holders who had applied for regularisation as per the policy guidelines issued by the Punjab Government and total payment had been cleared. “Rest of the plot holders have been advised to clear 100 per cent payment required for regularisation, besides clearing discrepancies in their papers so that NOCs could be issued to them at the earliest,” he said.

On Assembly bypolls in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo, he said the SAD-BJP would contest on the poll plank of development and emerge victorious on both seats.

On inadequate supply of power, Sukhbir said the state had power plants with a capacity to the tune of 5,000 MW but the previous UPA government had not approved adequate provision of coal linkage, which led to acute shortage of coal to the power plants. Later, he reviewed the progress of the Golden Temple Entrance Plaza project and directed officials to complete the work on war footing.

Calls it third major assault on Sikhs

• The SAD president says Jagdish Singh Jhinda has no right to manage gurdwara affairs as he has been excommunicated by the Akal Takht
• He says the Haryana Government aims at weakening the SGPC
• By constituting separate committee to manage gurdwaras in Haryana, he says, the Congress has inflicted third major assault on Sikhs after the Operation Bluestar and 1984 anti-Sikh riots