RANJIT PANEL A PUPPET: SGPC

Terming the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission a “puppet” of the Punjab government, the SGPC on Saturday said that neither the premier Sikh organisation’s president, Kirpal Singh Badungar, nor any Akal Takht representative will appear before it. ››

PAT I ALA: Terming the Justice Ranj it Singh Commission a“puppet” of the Punjab government, the Shir omaniGurdwa ra Par bandhak Comm it tee(SG PC) on Saturday said that neither the premier Sikh organisation’ s president, Kirp al Singh Ba dun gar, nor any Akal Takht representative will appear before it despite having been summoned.

The Congress government had setuptheone-mancommissionof the former high court judge to investigate all cases of sacrilege reported in Punjab, including three of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district in 2015 and the Behb al Kalanfi ring incident. The new government had rejected the report of the Z ora Singh Commission, which had been appointed by the SAD-BJP regime.

The commission earlier this month sent summons to the S GP C and the secretariat of Ak al Takht,t he highest Sikh temporal seat, to submit documents related to pardoning of Der a Sac ha Saud a head Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a 2007 case of alleged blasphemy, and about the expenses involved in issuing advertisements related to the 2015 pardon that had later been withdrawn.

On Saturday, in an emergent meeting of the SGPC executive chaired by Badungar, the members said the commission is “overstepping jurisdiction”, which will “not be tolerated”, as the SGPC and the Takht are “supreme institution of Sikhs”.

Badungar said, “It is highly condemnable that the commission has summoned the SGPC president and the Takhtja the dar to appear before it with the record. The executive has passed a resolution to condemn this move and rejected the commission, which is nothing but a puppet of the Congress government .”

He added, “After Operation Bluestar, Congress government is again directly interfering in Sikh affairs and challenging the Aka lT ak ht andSG PC. The summoning is against the traditions, maryada (code of ethics) and prestige of Sikh institutions.” He said the SGPC has decided not to appear before the commission nor submit any documents.

Meanwhile, Daljit Singh Che em a, spokesman of the Shir oman iA kali Dal( SAD) that controls the elected S GP C, termed its decision as “the right move”.

After Operation Bluestar, Congress is again directly interfering in Sikh affairs, challenging Akal Takht and SGPC.

KIRPAL SINGH BADUNGAR, SGPC chief