Akal Takht, SGPC blame Haryana govt for violence

Amritsar, Punjab: The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have squarely blamed Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his government for starting a fratricidal feud in the Sikh community that led to violence in Kurukshetra and Kaithal.

In separate statements issued here on Wednesday, the two institutions also accused Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGPC) chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda and his supporters of violating the Akal Takht directive to maintain status quoingurd war as managed by the SGPC andre frain from taking any step that could lead to mistrust and cause tension between the opposing gurdwara committees.

The statements condemned the takeover of the Guhla-Cheeka gurdwara in Kaithal district by HSGMC supporters and the violence outside Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in Kurukshetra.

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh demanded that the Hooda government evict all those who had forced their way into the shrine at Guhla-Cheeka after chasing out employees. The shrine management should be restored to those who were managing it, he demanded, without naming the SGPC.

Referring to his directive to maintain status quo in the gurdwaras of Haryana and allow the SGPC to continue with the management of shrines till the matter is decided by the Akal Takht, the jathedar said it was rather unfortunate that “some people under instigation from the Congress had violated this order”.

“This fratricidal feud will not damage anyone else’s reputation but of the Sikh community,” he said.

He added that the five ‘Singh Sahibs’ (high priests) would meet on Thursday for taking action against those responsible for the violence and forcible takeover of a shrine.

‘CONGRESS DESIGNS HAVE BEEN EXPOSED’

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar claimed that the happenings in Haryana had exposed Congress designs to divide and weaken the Sikh community. He alleged that the Hooda government provided the support to its “stooges and puppets” to take control of the shrine at GuhlaCheeka.

He claimed that Jhinda and his supporters manhandled SGPC employees inside the shrine at Guhla-Cheeka and then threw them out, while at Kurukshetra, they crossed police barricades with the aim of entering the gurdwara there.

“Jhinda and his supporters stand exposed before the ‘quam’. On the one hand, they talk of an amicable solution, while on the other they indulge in violence against their own Sikh brethren,” added Makkar. POINT OF NO RETURN: DAL KHALSA

Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said it was unfortunate that the two warring factions had chosen to ignore pleas from the community members not to resort to a physical showdown. Ironically, both sides have crossed the point of no return, he added. He said that in the end, the Akal Takht jathedar and chief minister Parkash Singh Badal would be held responsible for bringing “a bad name to the community”.

Source: HT