Akal Takht, SGPC condemns sedition charges against Rajasthan gurdwara head Tejinder Pal Singh Timma

Amritsar, July 9

The Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have condemned the registration of sedition charges against Sikh preacher from Rajasthan, Tejinder Pal Singh Timma.

Timma, the president of Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh on Padampur Road in Sriganganagar, was booked allegedly for uploading a video clip on social media praising the newly elected MP from Khadoor Sahib Amritpal Singh, who has been detained at Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act.

It was alleged that Timma had made provocative anti-national statements. He had also opposed the BJP-led Rajasthan Government for forcing some Sikh girl students to remove their religious symbols before allowing them to take judicial examination recently.

Timma has been booked under Sections 152 and 197 (1)(C) of the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said that it appeared that the first case of treason under the new format of law was registered against a Sikh. In a message, he said that this case has a frivolous base and is a contempt of the Indian Constitution which permits every citizen of India to contest for freedom or demand a separate state in a peaceful manner. It has testified that the new laws were misused against the Sikhs who sacrificed the most in attaining freedom, he alleged.

Demanding to revoke the FIR against Timma, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said that Timma has been an activist who worked for the propagation of Sikhism. He said that despite the information of many anti-Sikh social media accounts sent to the police administration by the SGPC, no action was taken on any complaint.

“Registering a case against him under the new law norms is a picture of the government’s move against the Sikhs in the country. We strongly condemn it. SGPC is with him and committed to provide any assistance. Why are the new laws silent about the anti-Sikh hate speech and comments on social media? It was the government’s tendency to suppress the minorities. India is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-civilised country and the laws have to be universal for all,” he said.

Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said that there was already a fear that the newly created laws were framed to suppress the minorities.