Chandigarh, September 16, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh was disobeying Sri Akal Takht Sahib by challenging its dictum to observe joint celebrations of the 550th Parkash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji.
Talking to newsmen here, former minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said “now Capt Amarinder Singh should decide whether he wants to give ‘bedava’ to Sri Akal Takht Sahib by hosting a Congress show or obey the supreme seat of religious and temporal authority of the Sikhs.
The Akali leader said the statements of the chief minister were hurting the sentiments of the entire Guru Naam Leva Sangat which was shocked that he was taking the same road of confrontation with Sri Akal Takht Sahib as taken by former PM Indira Gandhi. “The very fact that the chief minister has decided to disobey the dictum of the Jathedar Sahib of Sri Akal Takht has dismayed everyone and is against the message of oneness preached by Guru Sahib”.
Dr Cheema said the Sri Akal Takht Jathedar had made an appeal for joint celebrations keeping in mind the need to present a united front before the world leaving aside all party differences. He said three Congress ministers had also gone to Sri Akal Takht and agreed to this proposal. “Now however efforts are afoot to hold a Congress show to culminate the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations.”
The SAD leader said the Congress party well knew that the SGPC was the representative body of all Sikhs of the country and that it was an elected body. He said the SGPC had been entrusted with holding various ‘shatabdis’ of the Sikh panth in the past and had even been given this responsibility on the occasion of 350th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji in Patna. “The chief minster should not politicize this solemn occasion. He should let the religious function remain in religious domain. After all the SGPC is not asking to hold a function in the State Secretariat”, he added.
Dr Cheema also took notice and condemned the intemperate language used by the chief minister for the first Sikh woman cabinet minister of Punjab – Biba Harsimrat Kaur Badal. He said using such language on such a pious occasion was not warranted and the chief minister should remember Guru Sahab’s dictum “so kyon manda akhiye jitt jamme rajaan”. The Akali leader said Mrs Badal had only spoken up for observing the suggestions made by the Sri Akal Takht jathedar as a humble Sikh.
“Obeying the suggestions of Sri Akal Takht is binding on all Sikhs. But you have chosen not only to disobey and disregard the suggestions but you are trying to drive a wedge in the Sikh community by politicizing the 550th Parkash Purb celebrations. This is highly condemnable. You should make amends immediately instead of indulging in behavior which amounts to giving ‘bedava’ to Sri Akal Takht”, Dr Cheema added. EOM
