Centre, Punjab Govt discriminating against Sikhs, says SGPC chief

Amritsar, July 5

Showing solidarity with jailed self-styled pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, who took oath today as an MP after being elected from Khadoor Sahib, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said both the Centre and state government had been discriminating against the Sikh community. To substantiate his point, he referred to the “restrictions” imposed on Amritpal for the parole granted to him for the oath ceremony.

Dhami convened a meeting of the SGPC’s executive body today, which passed a resolution condemning the “adverse comments” made by Kangana Ranaut, the BJP MP from Mandi, against Punjab and Punjabis. The executive body asked the state government to file a case against Kangana, saying that she had “defamed Punjabis by spreading hate against them”.

Wants Kangana booked for ‘hate remarks’

• The SGPC asked the state government to register a case against Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut for her “hate remarks” against Punjab and Punjabis
• A resolution was also passed against the “arbitrary action” of forcing Sikh candidates to remove kirpan during a judicial examination in Jodhpur

A resolution was also passed against the “arbitrary action” of forcing Sikh candidates to remove their kirpan during a judicial examination in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, which was contrary to the Sikhs’ right to wear religious symbols.

“Sikhs have been subjected to discriminatory treatment. Amritpal, who won the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat with a thumping majority, is being treated as an outsider. Several conditions were imposed on him when he was to take oath. He has been kept in detention at the Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act on baseless charges. No cognisance was taken by the AAP government on Kangana’s anti-Punjab hate speech. We urge the government to register a case against her,” Dhami said.

The SGPC asked the Centre to prevail upon the Rajasthan Government to register a case of hurting religious sentiments against officials who forced Sikh candidates to remove their kirpan during the examination.

The executive committee also took note of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s statement in Parliament of linking the “abhaya mudra” with the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. A resolution passed in this regard said often the teachings of the Gurus and the meaning of Gurbani were misinterpreted by politicians, hurting sentiments.

Speaking about the woman who sparked a controversy by performing yoga on the premises of the Golden Temple, Dhami said she had sent in a written apology.