Hand over gurdwara to Daduwal, say villagers

Bathinda, Punjab: Residents of Kotshamir village have demanded that the district administration should wrest the control of their local gurdwara from SGPC member Amreek Singh and hand it over to Sikh spiritual leader Baljit Singh Daduwal. They have alleged that police personnel deployed in and outside the gurdwara were violating the sanctity of the religious place by consuming alcohol while on duty. The residents demanded they be removed immediately.

The villagers today submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Deputy Commissioner. The residents also demanded action against the SGPC member for “forcibly” taking over the religious place.

Tension gripped the village yesterday when some villagers found a policeman, Kuldip Singh, in inebriated condition outside the gurdwara. They started raising slogans against the SGPC member for “violating the sanctity of the gurdwara”.

Sources claimed that the police was in the process of suspending the police official concerned.

Baljit Singh Daduwal said he was disheartened over the news that police personnel outside the gurdwara were found consuming alcohol. He alleged that the state government, which termed itself as the “government of panth”, was “illegally” trying to take control of the gurdwara.

Paramjit Singh, former sarpanch of Kotshamir village, said the memorandum that was submitted today had been signed by more than 100 villagers, members of the panchayat and former panchayat of the village and seven namberdars. “The entire village wants that the charge of the gurdwara be given to Daduwal,” he said.

Gurdwara Jandalisar Sahib was under the control of Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal since 1999, but after Daduwal’s arrest on August 21, the management of the gurdwara was taken over by SGPC member Amrik Singh Kotshamir.

Villagers have also sent the memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) president Amit Shah.

Source: The Tribune