Amritsar, Feb 10, 2024 (Yes Punajab News)
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami has termed the Maharashtra government’s insistence on increasing the number of members nominated by the government in the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib management board as disregard for Sikh sentiments.
Harjinder Singh Dhami in his statement on Saturday said that it is not logical for the government to say that only Sikh members will be nominated in the board. He questioned the Maharashtra government that the members nominated by the Sikh organizations, whose representation is being reduced from the board, were not Sikhs?
The SGPC president said, “The government’s explanation is only misleading, while the truth is that the government wants to take the management of the Gurdwara in its own hands.” He said that the governments should not interfere in Sikh affairs like this, but should leave the issues of Sikhs to the community.
“By hurting the sentiments of the Sikh world, a hostile atmosphere is created in the country, which is not in the nation’s interest. Yesterday (on Friday) at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, a large number of Sikhs expressed their resentment and feelings against the government’s decision, which needs to be taken seriously.
The Maharashtra government should seriously consider this issue and take a decision according to their opinion after holding a meeting with the representative Sikh organizations”, said Harjinder Singh Dhami.
He added that Takht Sri Hazur Sahib is one of the revered Takhts of the Sikhs, where no need is being felt to distort and break ‘The Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Takht Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956’, for its management and service.
This Act was enacted after thinking from all the aspects and it should remain intact. The Act included local Sikhs, representative Sikh organizations, Sikh members of Parliament and appropriate representatives of the government.
The SGPC President said that the Maharashtra government should refrain from making an arbitrary decision on the Sikh world.
He said that the SGPC has already written a letter to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra regarding this matter, on which the government should take immediate action to withdraw the cabinet decision and give time to the SGPC delegation for a meeting.
