SGPC defied Akal Takht by ignoring coordination panel, says Randhawa
THE MINISTER SAYS GURDWARA BODY MUST CLARIFY WHETHER THE EVENT IS BEING ORGANISED BY IT OR SAD
AMRITSAR: Punjab cooperation and jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Saturday said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) defied the directive of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, by ignoring the coordination panel while inviting President Ram Nath Kovind for attending the function to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
Kovind on Friday agreed to attend the function that will be held at Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12. “We followed the directions of the Akal Takht for forming a coordination committee for joint celebrations of Guru’s birth anniversary. We attended the committee meeting. We were to get back to the SGPC after discussing the matter with chief minister Amarinder Singh. But they did not wait for us and went to the President alone,” said Randhawa over phone.
“Also, they did not even take the fifth member Baba Nihal Singh Haryan Welan along. They have ignored the committee in violation of the Akal Takht’s order,” he said.
“I discussed the issue with the CM during the cabinet meeting on Thursday. But before we conveyed our view to the gurdwara body, they went to invite the President,” he said. Taking an exception to a tweet by Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal and Union minister Harsimrat Badal about the acceptance of the invitation by Kovind, Randhawa said Longowal must clarify the event is being organised by the gurdwara body or the Akali Dal.”
NO COMMUNICATION FROM GOVT: LONGOWAL
SGPC chief Longowal said they have not received any communication from the state government so far after the September 17 meeting. On objections to their inviting the President he said, “First, the government’s nominees did not attend two meetings of the coordination committee. In the September 17 meeting, the government nominees said they will inform us in a day or two after discussing the issue with the CM. But they chose not to respond.”