Withdraw amended Gurdwaras Act or face agitation: SGPC to Bhagwant Mann govt
Neeraj Bagga
Amritsar, June 26
The SGPC general house today unanimously rejected the AAP government’s amendment to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, to allow free telecast of the Gurbani from the Golden Temple.
Govt can’t dictate terms to SGPC
The Gurbani telecast & changes to Gurdwaras Act fall under SGPC’s domain. Govt can’t dictate terms to SGPC on these matters.
Bibi Jagir Kaur, ex-SGPC chief
Passing a resolution, the SGPC asked the government not to interfere in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. The house also asked the government to withdraw the amendment or be ready to face a “morcha”. Interestingly, the SGPC got support even from non-SAD members of the house. Bibi Jagir Kaur, who had contested against SAD-backed Harjinder Singh Dhami during the election for the post of the SGPC chief on November 9, supported the SGPC on the issue.
A platform to criticise me: Mann
The SGPC session was used only as a platform to criticise me. It was an assembly of leaders to shield ‘a family’.
Bhagwant Mann, Punjab CM
In her address to the house, she endorsed the ending of the monopoly of the telecast of the Gurbani from the Golden Temple. Asserting that Panthic values could not be ignored for a family, she favoured setting up of own channel by the SGPC.
Balwinder Singh Bains, another opposition member, also flayed the interference of the government in SGPC matters. Dhami said the SGPC would first adopt constitutional means to oppose the AAP government’s move.
Audio disrupted three times
During the live telecast of the proceedings of the SGPC general house, the audio of the proceedings was disrupted thrice. The disturbances affected speeches of Charanjit Singh Jassowal, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Balwinder Singh Bains. SGPC officials said the disruption was due to technical reasons
On setting up of a channel of the SGPC to telecast the Gurbani live from the Golden Temple, he said a sub-committee had been formed earlier to decide on the issue. The SGPC president announced that the house had decided to proceed legally against the amendment to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act.
The general house, convened under the leadership of Dhami, passed five resolutions. Two resolutions sought public apologies from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP MLA Budh Ram for their alleged remarks hurting Sikh sentiments.
In another resolution, it termed the Bill as a direct attack on the jurisdiction and independence of the SGPC. A resolution said under Section 72 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, any amendment to the 1925 Act could only be accepted after approval of the SGPC general house.
